Generously underwritten by SS&C Intralinks

William Jefferson Black, Executive Director, Transaction Advisors Institute

• How are leading acquirors designing an M&A strategy that works in volatile market conditions? 
• What should M&A teams consider as they navigate pressure for scale and corporate clarity?
• What unique approaches are being used to drive internal alignment and accelerate dealmaking?

• What are the most effective approaches for negotiating establishing agreements and preliminary financial terms?
• How detailed should an IOI/LOI be to ensure the best outcomes? 
• What methods can be employed to re-visit core financial terms and other material deal points?

• How can diligence be accelerated through an optimal use of AI, external advisors, and data sampling?
• What IP diligence practices - such as code reviews and information security scans - should be standard?
• How much integration planning is appropriate ahead of deal approval?

• How are recent HSR requirements reshaping the corporate M&A process?
• What is the current best practice for engaging with antitrust agencies?
• Which jurisdictions are significantly increasing their review processes?

This candid after-dinner conversation will provide an unvarnished look at the messy realities associated with deal making. Topics for discussion will include soft power and boardroom dramas, mission creep and founder management, pivots and myths that tend to block value creation. As past participants will attest, these lively and interactive fire-side chats are a unique and enjoyable capstone.

• How can the balance of warranties, indemnities and other risk allocation mechanisms be optimized?
• What is the current market standard for closing conditions?
• How are break fees and other dispute resolution provisions changing?

• Who should be engaged when developing a cultural integration framework?
• How do you determine the pace of change an organization can endure?
• What adjustments are made in integration planning based on cultural due diligence findings?

• How are interim operating covenants being structured to flex for slow close transactions?
• How are corporate M&A teams avoiding gun jumping while actively planning for rapid post-close actions?
• How should corporate M&A teams oversee working capital mechanisms and other closing adjustments to prevent gaming? 

• What benchmarks are being used to design executive compensation and benefit programs?
• How can retention milestones be effectively engineered to align with value creation?
• What are the most effective mechanisms for aligning incentives among stakeholders?
• Has the use of restrictive covenants and non-competes changed in light of recent legal scrutiny and changes in policy?
• How should corporate M&A teams optimize earn-outs and contingent consideration?

• When should the integration thesis and playbook be designed and confirmed?
• How can go-to-market teams effectuate and accelerate tough revenue synergies and establish stretch targets?
• What early cost synergy-capture opportunities should be prioritized to deliver quick wins and head-off value leakage?
• How are the most effective M&A teams tracking synergy delivery and working with institutional investors to level-set expectations?

• What are the key planning, readiness, and organizational design questions that need to be tackled early?
• How are the most effective organizations managing through the sale process?
• What are the material TSAs and post-close considerations that need to be calibrated?

• How can agentic and gen AI reshape end-to-end M&A value creation and processes? 
• Where are the opportunities to leverage AI to refine the deal theses and post-close value creation? 
• Are there new applications for strategic planning, target screening, growth assessments, and integration design? 
• How can M&A accelerate adoption of AI into business operations to drive long-term structural advantage? 

The cross-disciplinary agenda will be unpacked by a diverse speaking faculty from various industries and roles, who will share first-hand experiences, best practices, and guidance on delivering high performing transactions. See photos from 2025

Credits: 9 CLE / 11 CPE. The Institute is accredited in Illinois. Reciprocity may be available.