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An overview of the main types of PE deals an M&A associate would encounter, including buyouts (with a focus on leveraged buyouts), carveouts, and minority investments. This course also discusses rollover equity, buy-and-build, co-investments, and growth equity.

ABA M&A Committee members Leigh Walton from Bass, Berry & Sims and Scott Whittaker from Stone Pigman discuss market trends in how loss is defined in private M&A deals, drawing on data from the ABA M&A Committee's Private Target M&A Deal Points Study.

An overview of how these short agreements are used in M&A deals.

How to prepare for direct examination of a fact witness, so you can go into your prep session with a trial-ready outline. Includes how to cover affirmative points that you need to get in through the witness, how to neutralize negative points you expect on cross, how and when to use exhibits, and how to think about redirect. (Prepping the witness is covered in a different course.)

The difference between incorporation and organization, important questions to ask before organizing, the process of incorporating, and post-incorporation matters like foreign qualifications.

How to prepare for the direct examination of your expert. Includes tips for drafting your questions and organizing your outline. Explains how to cover each section of the expert’s report in your questions, drawing out the right information in a way that will land with the jury. Also includes how to prepare the expert for their direct testimony.

Tips and strategies for working effectively with experts on your case. Covers how to prepare for direct of your expert, prepare your expert for cross, and conduct cross examination of the other side’s expert. Gives tips for maximizing your expert’s performance and steering clear of mistakes. Also discusses tricky ethical areas like privilege over communications and draft reports, as well as how to choose the right expert in the first place.

Explains the main documents and key provisions in M&A deals, and provides an overview of the M&A deal process from start to finish. This track also explains the structures of M&A deals including asset and stock sales, direct mergers, and forward and reverse triangular mergers.

An introduction to the practice and process of civil litigation. Covers the typical roles in a law firm’s civil litigation group, the life cycle of a typical civil case, and the main tasks involved in discovery, motion practice and trial preparation.

Explains key concepts in financial reporting and accounting, such as accrual accounting, revenue recognition, and depreciation and amortization. This track also covers the roles in a finance department; the processes of accounting, financial reporting, and audits; and how to analyze a company’s annual report and financials.

Explains three critical issues for a company as it goes through a bankruptcy case: the methods of financing available to the company, the process and procedure of bankruptcy litigation, and how contracts and leases are dealt with when a company goes through a restructuring.

This program covers the structure of private equity funds, key deal types, how PE firms approach transactions, and the differences between strategic M&A and Private Equity M&A.