Mergers & Acquisitions / Buy-Side

M&A Buy-Side Readiness Assessment

A disciplined acquisition starts with a visible thesis, a realistic target and an internal process that can make decisions as diligence changes the picture.

~5 MINUTES · 19 QUESTIONS · INSTANT RESULTS

Mergers & Acquisitions / Buy-Side

Readiness review

Before the transaction gets moving.

01 Structure and ownership

02 Authority and risk allocation

03 Execution and next steps

Who it is for

A clearer starting line.

For owners, executives, corporate development teams, sponsors and investment groups evaluating a potential acquisition or add-on transaction.

Review scope

What the assessment evaluates

A practical screen for the issues most likely to affect the next decision.

01 Acquisition thesis

Clarify the strategic rationale, value creation logic and decision criteria behind the proposed acquisition.

02 Target fit

Screen the target’s ownership, operations, dependencies and strategic fit against the buyer’s stated objectives.

03 Financing + diligence

Identify financing assumptions, diligence workstreams and information gaps that could affect timing or price.

04 Transaction structure

Surface the early asset, equity, rollover, earn-out and risk-allocation choices that shape the deal.

05 Integration planning

Consider contracts, people, systems and obligations that need a credible path after closing.

06 Decision authority

Map who can approve the thesis, bind the buyer, manage advisors and make trade-offs as facts change.

Defined scope / clear starting point

TRANSPARENT STARTING PRICES FOR DEFINED LEGAL WORK

RAETZER offers defined fixed-fee packages for qualifying private-capital, M&A, joint-venture, and corporate-infrastructure matters. The packages are designed to give prospective clients an informed starting point before an attorney reviews the specific transaction.

Final package eligibility, scope, and fee are confirmed only after completion of the applicable readiness assessment, conflicts review, jurisdictional review, attorney consultation, and execution of a written engagement agreement.

Transaction map

Buyer → Target → Diligence → Financing → Closing

M&A BUY-SIDE PACKAGES

These packages are for legal representation of a buyer acquiring an identified privately held business. RAETZER does not locate acquisition targets, guarantee financing, or act as a business broker or investment banker through these packages.

Indicative fixed-fee packages for qualifying matters. Final eligibility, scope, and fee are confirmed after the applicable readiness assessment, conflicts review, and an initial attorney consultation.

All engagements remain subject to conflicts review, attorney review, scope confirmation, and a written engagement agreement. Government fees, third-party costs, local counsel, tax advisers, accountants, filing fees, and specialty counsel are not included unless expressly stated.

Package 1

ACQUISITION ESSENTIALS

$24,500

FLAT LEGAL FEE For qualifying standard-scope matters.

Best for

a qualifying buyer acquiring one privately held U.S. business in a straightforward transaction, generally below $2M.

Principal inclusions

  • Transaction-structure consultation

  • One LOI review/preparation

  • Standard legal due diligence

  • One principal asset/equity purchase agreement

  • Standard ancillary/closing documents

  • One closing

VIEW SCOPE AND ASSUMPTIONS

Assumptions: one buyer/target, private U.S. business, one principal agreement, one ordinary financing source, one closing, no rollover, complex earn-out, material owned real estate/environmental/specialty approval, cross-border, public-company securities, distressed/bankruptcy, reasonably organized diligence, and ordinary commercially reasonable negotiation.

Supplemental fee may apply for material financing, extensive schedules, substantial seller financing, employment negotiations, repeated restructuring, unusual tax-driven structures, or extraordinary diligence.

Package 2

MOST COMMON

GROWTH ACQUISITION

$39,500

FLAT LEGAL FEE For qualifying standard-scope matters.

Best for

a qualifying acquisition of $2M-$10M or a smaller transaction with moderate complexity.

Principal inclusions

  • Expanded diligence/tracking

  • Asset-vs-equity structure

  • Working capital/cash/debt/purchase-price adjustments

  • One seller note/escrow/holdback/earn-out/limited rollover

  • Disclosure schedules/key transition documents

  • Financing/closing coordination

VIEW SCOPE AND ASSUMPTIONS

Assumes one buyer/target/principal acquisition/closing, ordinary negotiation, and one principal contingent/financing component.

Multiple layers, extensive rollover governance, substantial real estate, regulated industry, unusually extensive diligence, repeated re-trading, or additional targets require supplemental/custom scope.

Package 3

STRATEGIC ACQUISITION

$59,500

Final fee confirmed after attorney review.

Best for

acquisitions generally $10M-$50M or substantial financing, rollover, management, complex economics, or extensive diligence.

Principal inclusions

  • Multi-entity structuring

  • Substantial acquisition-financing coordination

  • Rollover/post-closing governance

  • Complex earn-out/escrow/indemnification

  • Management/employment/retention

  • Expanded diligence/closing management

VIEW SCOPE AND ASSUMPTIONS

Final fee after structure/target/LOI/financing/diligence/negotiation/timetable review.

Custom quote for above $50M, public target, cross-border, regulated/distressed, bankruptcy/receivership, multiple acquisitions, material antitrust/tax/environmental/benefits/real-estate/government-contract/specialty regulatory work, RWI, multiple closings/substantial post-closing.

Illustrative milestone billing, subject to written engagement agreement: Illustrative milestone billing: 40% at engagement; 30% at completion of the LOI/diligence phase or initial definitive agreement; 30% at signing or closing. If the transaction terminates, fees earned through the completed milestone remain payable.

Next step

NOT SURE WHICH PACKAGE FITS?

Complete the applicable RAETZER readiness assessment. Your responses will help identify the likely scope, urgency, complexity, decision authority, and appropriate next step before you speak with an attorney.

Important Scope Notes

The prices shown are indicative fixed fees or starting prices for qualifying matters. Final eligibility, scope, staffing, and fee are confirmed only after the applicable readiness assessment, conflicts review, jurisdictional review, attorney consultation, and execution of a written engagement agreement.

Each fixed fee is based on the parties, entities, documents, transaction structure, revision rounds, closing assumptions, and other limitations stated in the engagement agreement. A material change in the matter may require a supplemental fixed fee or an approved hourly scope.

Additional parties, entities, targets, bidders, investors, security classes, or closings

Material changes to economics or structure

Extraordinary diligence or negotiation

Repeated re-trading of agreed terms

Substantial corporate cleanup or missing records

Compressed or expedited deadlines

Specialty tax, regulatory, employment, benefits, real-estate, environmental, antitrust, litigation, or foreign-law issues

Restarting a transaction after termination or material delay

Government filing fees, state notice fees, foreign or local counsel, accountants, tax advisers, investment bankers, business brokers, lenders, appraisers, valuation providers, data-room providers, expert consultants, translators, and other third-party costs are not included unless expressly stated.

Legal fees are earned according to the milestones stated in the engagement agreement and are not contingent upon raising capital, obtaining financing, signing a transaction, or completing a closing.

RAETZER does not guarantee capital, financing, investors, acquisition targets, buyers, sellers, valuation, transaction approval, or closing.

RAETZER does not act as a broker-dealer, placement agent, investment banker, business broker, lender, accountant, tax adviser, valuation provider, or foreign-law adviser unless a separate written agreement expressly states otherwise.

SCOPE AND FEE PROTECTIONS

Non-contractual note: Formal engagement letters govern and summarize these principles: one transaction/project; defined entities/parties/documents; ordinary negotiation only with material restructuring supplemental; defined revision rounds; exclusions for litigation/tax/accounting/valuation/regulatory/real-estate/environmental/benefits/foreign law unless included; third-party/government fees separate; delay/term changes permit supplemental fee; additional closings/investors/targets/bidders/entities/documents separately priced; fees earned by milestones and not contingent; additional work only after written approval of supplemental fixed fee/hourly scope. Formal engagement letters govern.

Pricing and package descriptions are provided for general informational purposes and do not constitute an offer to provide legal services. No attorney-client relationship is created through the website or an assessment submission. Representation begins only after conflicts review and execution of a written engagement agreement.

Before you begin

A screening tool, not a legal opinion.

This assessment is provided solely for educational, informational and screening purposes. It is not legal advice, does not determine legal compliance or establish that a transaction or corporate initiative is “ready” under applicable law, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Do not submit confidential or privileged information. Representation begins only after conflicts review and execution of a written engagement agreement.

A considered first step

START WITH THE RIGHT ASSESSMENT

The next decision

Start with the issues that deserve attention.



This assessment takes about five minutes. Answer honestly — there are no wrong answers, and nothing here is reviewed in real time. When you're done, you'll get a readiness score across four areas: business foundation, offering architecture, investor strategy, and execution readiness, along with a recommended next step.

19 questions · ~5 minutes · instant results

This assessment is for general educational and screening purposes only. It does not determine whether an offering complies with federal or state securities laws, whether an exemption is available, or whether you are legally qualified to invest. Please don't include any confidential information in your answers.

RAETZER PLLC

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