Transaction law

In today’s dynamic business environment, businesses are taking advantage of changing markets to expand through acquisitions. Transactions are becoming more complex, so investors need access to legal advice that helps them manage deals effectively.

Related topics

Transactions and Corporate Finance by EY-Parthenon

The team

Photographic portrait of Shara Roy

EY Canada Chief Legal Counsel

Photographic portrait of Jennifer Ward

EY Canada Managing Partner, Tax

What EY can do for you

Businesses are increasingly focused on the economies of scale that result from acquisitions. This means that they require an efficient and effective post-acquisition and merger process.

Integrating EY lawyers with the professionals from Assurance, Tax, Transactions and Advisory, we are able to handle a range of issues that can arise in a single transaction.

In addition, we complement transactional skills with extensive knowledge, covering a wide range of business areas including anti-trust, employment and benefits, environmental law, intellectual property, and tax.

We help to make deals happen

Accurate evaluation of potential transactions has never been more critical. To help you manage uncertain environments, EY provides detailed legal transaction advice and support, including:

Carve-outs and separation
Transaction structuring and negotiation
Auction process and process documentation
Buy- and sell-side due diligence
Debt and equity commitments
Share and asset purchase agreements
Investment and shareholders’ agreements
JV agreements
Financing
Service-level agreements and other intercompany arrangements
Labor union and works council consultations
Competition law clearance
Completion and post-transaction reorganizations

EY provides detailed legal transaction advice and support to help you reach your transaction goals quickly, efficiently and with added value. EY helps convert strategic vision into reality and support deals to run smoothly.

Whether disposing of a business or acquiring one, multinational businesses face a wealth of challenges during pre- and post-transaction reorganizations.

Their business needs include:

A clear strategy for corporate, financial, tax and people-related restructuring actions
Knowledge of the specific legislative requirements and corporate or commercial law issues in each jurisdiction
An understanding of business and industry dynamics to minimize operational disruption
Clear communication with the workforce to reduce uncertainty and promote employee retention
Seamless coordination of work streams in multiple countries

How we can help

EY lawyers work alongside professionals from tax, accounting, financial advisory and human capital to analyze the specific circumstances of your business and provide cohesive guidance, often resulting in substantial savings and increased shareholder value.

We offer:

The legal teams that helps manage communications with not only the client but also local counsel, other EY teams and possible third-party advisors
Clear schedules and deadlines
Global templates for legal documents, promoting efficiency and consistency
Assistance that lessens the burden on the in-house staff
Support for all relevant project management capabilities

EY has more than 2,100 lawyers in over 80 jurisdictions, combining local knowledge with global reach to cover your legal needs.

By leveraging synergies and knowledge of your organization among multiple teams and disciplines, EY can help drive cost-efficiency and reduce friction during the project.

With our broad experience in these matters, we can reduce risk during execution, lessen the impact on your daily business, answer questions promptly and channel the input of all parties. Our services can be flexibly aligned with your needs and in-house resources.
EY helps convert strategic vision into reality and support deals to run smoothly.

M&A transactions must be negotiated well and structured carefully to reduce legal risks, manage tax issues and ensure timely execution.

Each plan has its own potential legal risks and deal-breakers, including:

Funding incapacity of the purchaser
Litigation and regulatory risks
Change-of-control issues such as termination rights under critical contracts, loss of public grants or subsidies, and loss of major suppliers or customers
Misrepresentations, particularly with accounting and tax
Key employee retention

Businesses need lawyers who not only have experience handling private M&A transactions in different industries and markets, but also have a team mind-set and can perform well in complex situations.

How we can help

Whether you are a seller, a purchaser, a JV partner or management, our lawyers can guide you through M&A transactions by working alongside professionals from tax, accounting, transaction advisory, finance advisory and people services.

The outcome

EY lawyers offer detailed advice to address your M&A needs, including:

Critically assessing any planned investment or divestiture
Assisting with carve-outs to make your divestiture ready for sale
Assisting with structuring, negotiating and executing private M&A transactions in a timely manner
Aiding reorganizations to integrate the acquisition into your business

EY’s lawyers are accustomed to working on both local and international transactions involving many countries — a capability that clients often view as another reason to use our services.

How EY Dynamic Transactions Solution can help streamline transaction reorganization projects

The EY Dynamic Transactions Solution platform has been designed by experienced EY Law transaction professionals to help improve efficiencies and reduce risks for organizations throughout the life of the transaction.

The customizable solution features a user-friendly interface and offers:

A centralized source of project information to better organize and access documents and entity information
Collaboration tools for seamless communication among stakeholders, including a detailed and interactive project plan
Automated documents and workflows, including embedded e-signature capabilities, to reduce the risk of errors and help ensure compliance with legal requirements, and
Customized dashboards with real-time progress indicators and analytics to improve project management

With these capabilities, EY Dynamic Transactions Solution allows you to take greater control over your project without becoming weighed down by the details.

The team

Shara Roy

EY Canada Chief Legal Counsel

Member of the Executive Leadership Team. Named one of Canada’s Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers. Passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion.

Toronto, Canada

Jennifer Ward

EY Canada Managing Partner, Tax

Value creator. Integrity advocate. Collaborative leader.

Calgary, Canada