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Boardroom Briefing A publication of Directors & Boards magazine and GRID Media LLC
Distressed Companies
Strategic Acquisitions
The Role of Directors
in M&A
D&B Survey:
With the support of
Mergers & Acquisitions
sponsored by
Summer 2009
Boardroom Briefing
Vol. 6, No. 2
A publication of
Directors & Boards magazine
and GRID Media LLC
David Shaw
GRID Media LLC
Editor & Publisher
Scott Chase
GRID Media LLC
Advertising & Marketing Director
James Kristie
Editor & Associate Publisher
Lisa M. Cody
Chief Financial Officer
The Many Sides of M&A......................................................................................... 37
James Kristie Barbara Wenger
Subscriptions/Circulation
Keynote
Thoughts on M&A in the Current Environment....................................................... 38 Jerri Smith
Stanley W. Silverman Reprints/List Rentals
Yes, there are financial, legal, strategic, and tactical dimensions to getting a deal done—
but never forget the human element. A tale from the Drake Hotel.
I
’ll never all they wished for was for the hostile “I well remember one transaction
forget the party to just go away and leave them where I had worked the better part of
story told alone to enjoy their tailor-mades. three years on acquiring a company
by a big-name in Chicago that we desired very much,
director who In the end, it was the end of the suits. and I wasn’t getting anywhere. The
was keynoting The deal got done, the shareholders company was a competitor, so there
an M&A were well rewarded … but, oh, what was a natural amount of skepticism
conference we heard in our keynoter’s voice was and hostility between us.
back in the the regret that lingered for the lost
James Kristie 1980s, when the sartorial splendors. “But one day I just happened to take
merger boom was running rampant. this fellow, whose business we were
That director will go unnamed, as There are many sides to an M&A trying to acquire, to a restaurant
you’ll soon see why (and also because transaction—financial, legal, strategic, in the Drake Hotel in Chicago. The
the session was off the record). He tactical. And, as the above story waiter came up—I knew the waiter, I
was an oil patch fellow, but at the testifies, there is a human element had been there often—and my guest
time was serving on the board of to every deal. You will find solid looked at the waiter and, in the middle
an apparel company that was being briefings on these dimensions of of his sentence, broke out in tears,
attacked by a raider. His job at the dealmaking in the following pages of weeping. I had not the slightest idea
conference was to walk the audience this Boardroom Briefing, our fourth what he was weeping about. Well, it
through a case study of how the board annual spotlight on M&A playbooks turned out that the waiter had waited
handled this hostile assault. by leading practitioners. on my guest’s father back on the West
Side of Chicago, and had always taken
He crunched the numbers in a I’m always taken with tales of how good care of his father—who had just
reasonable fashion, and traced the that human element compels— recently died.
steps that he and his fellow directors sometimes propels, sometimes
took in responding to this unwelcome repels—a transaction. My all-time “This fellow had a tough, hard shell,
would-be acquirer. But, in a moment favorite story came from an interview but he wasn’t hard inside. When I
of refreshing candor, he admitted I did for Directors & Boards in 1984 understood what he was crying about,
that the primal reaction driving with William Fishman, who over the that’s when he and I began to relate.
his behavior during the deal was course of 40 years as a serial acquirer Those are the kinds of things that get
outrage. had built up a multibillion-dollar into an acquisition that finance people
diversified services company now don’t always understand.”
“They’re trying to take away my known as Aramark Corp. (He died
suits!” he howled—to which we in the in 1991.) In no uncertain terms, he End of story. But the right place to
audience howled in laughter in return. told me this: “The most important start this Boardroom Briefing. Let
facet of any transaction is to establish the advisories that follow guide your
He wasn’t talking about lawsuits, a personal relationship between thinking and your tactics … and
either. One of the bennies of being on the seller and the buyer—not as always keep that human element at
this board was that the directors were companies, but as individuals. Until top of mind.
suited up with several complimentary the seller has faith and believes the
outfits each year. And that was just buyer, the transaction is a very cold James Kristie is editor and associate publisher
not right for any raider to mess with. and probably unsuccessful one.” And of Directors & Boards, and can be reached at
So, if the directors had their druthers, then he proceeded to tell me this story: jkristie@directorsandboards.com.
To increase the likelihood that a deal can be completed, a company needs to differentiate itself
from the pack.
R
ecessions amount of equity and debt financing paid. A few years later, these high
slow the can be raised in an environment risk strategies failed, placing some
pace of where both are in shorter supply financial firms at risk of collapse.
M&A activity than in times of economic expansion.
due to a During this recession, less debt The strategies to highlight a company
divergence financing is available, requiring that through achieving great performance
of seller and more equity be invested in deals, are the same regardless of the phase
buyer valuation lowering leverage and potential of the economic cycle. A company
expectations returns for acquirers, which will which has the right corporate culture,
Stanley W. Silverman and a difficult drive lower valuations. This widens a well developed strategic direction,
financing environment. Recessions the gap between buyer and seller employs skilled leaders and managers,
are a natural part of economic cycles. expectations. Sellers may choose to implements best operational practices,
They have occurred in the past, wait until valuations recover, and use focuses on customers, pushes its
and will occur again in the future. this time to improve its operation so manufacturing and product technology
Whether the divergence in valuation it can command a higher price when forward, has a strong balance sheet,
expectations during recessions can be the M&A environment improves. does a great job managing working
sufficiently narrowed to close a deal capital, has strong cash flow, focuses
depends on the motivations of both What the board can do on achieving growth and generates
the buyer and seller. attractive shareholder returns
The role of the board in this process differentiates itself and will perform
How can a board and management is to ensure the right CEO is in place, well in times of economic expansion
team increase the likelihood that their and develop with the CEO the right as well as in times of recession. These
company will successfully complete a long-term strategies to differentiate attributes make a company a desirable
transaction? For a buyer, this means the company from its competitors. investment and a strong acquirer, or an
having the confidence of investors The board also sets growth and attractive acquisition candidate.
and lenders that the company is well profitability goals and expectations
run, can successfully execute stated for the CEO, and monitors progress Tone and values
business strategies with the acquired on the execution of the strategies and
company, and can deliver promised progress towards achieving the goals. The tone at the top and the corporate
returns. For a seller, absent non- culture that the CEO establishes
monetary considerations, it means The board needs to establish a is not only key to great financial
obtaining the minimum acceptable compensation program that rewards performance, but company reputation
price. A potential acquirer will pay the CEO and senior management for as well. Tone establishes the values
more for a company if it feels the achieving results with an acceptable of the company, not only in terms of
potential acquisition is well run and level of risk to the company, and to ethical behaviors, but all aspects of
views it as a growth opportunity. ensure that an appropriate portion how the business is operated. The
The acquirer will pay less if it needs of bonuses are paid out over an CEO sets the tone, and the board
to fix the potential acquisition to appropriate time horizon. The board holds the CEO accountable for how
significantly improve profitability. needs to avoid the situation which well it’s established and adopted
recently occurred in the financial throughout the company.
Whether a deal can be financed industry where high risk strategies
during this or any other recession were pursued, short term financial As a former CEO of a company with
depends on whether the required results were strong, and large bonuses operations in 19 countries at 56 plants,
Directors should do more than is minimally required under the business judgment rule.
D
irectors In considering any significant a draft of the proposed acquisition
are often acquisition proposal, directors must agreement, and ask reasonable and
requested comply with the minimum legal duties hopefully probing questions. These
to approve under the business judgment rule standards result from such cases as
significant and conscientious directors should Smith v. Van Gorkom and a host of
acquisition do much more. Directors can satisfy other Delaware court cases which
proposals, which their minimum legal requirements describe the procedures necessary to
typically are and nevertheless still approve an help establish a business judgment
accompanied acquisition which is disastrous to defense for directors.
Frederick D. Lipman by rosy shareholder value. Not unimportantly,
management projections which directors who approve disastrous Aside from establishing a business
more than justify the purchase acquisitions are less likely to be invited judgment defense, conscientious
price. Directors should be skeptical to serve on other boards of directors. directors should understand best
of acquisition proposals which practices in effecting mergers and
promise significant cost savings, For purposes of this article, we acquisitions. No company can
major synergies and considerable will assume that the management grow without assuming some
growth potential. A recent example acquisition team does not have risk, notwithstanding the dismal
is the purchase by a specialty a demonstrated track record of success record of mergers and
retailer of another specialty retailer having completed a large number acquisitions. Therefore, the task of the
for approximately $517 million in of successful acquisitions, such conscientious director is to balance
February 2006, with a press release as General Electric. We will also risk and reward. Although directors
claiming “significant growth potential,” assume that the board is considering should not micromanage ordinary
enhanced “shareholder value,” and a significant merger or acquisition business decisions, directors may
“cost synergies,” and the subsequent opportunity, with substantial cost have a fiduciary duty to ask and, as
sale announced on June 2009 of that to the company, that the proposed a matter of best practice, should ask
same company for approximately $75 opportunity does not involve a change intelligent questions of management
million, which was claimed to be a in control of the company itself, and on any proposed merger or other
“significant strategic step forward ” to that there is no conflict of interest acquisition. The extent of the inquiries
enable the acquirer to focus on its core because of the board or management should depend upon the experience
of business. involvement with the target. and track record of the management
team in making successful
Director skepticism is more than At minimum acquisitions and the potential impact
justified by numerous academic and of an unsuccessful acquisition.
other studies which indicate that more To comply with the minimum
than a majority of mergers and other legal requirements of the business Best practices
acquisitions “fail,” depending upon judgment rule in order to protect the
your definition of failure. Moreover, directors from personal liability, the To ask incisive questions, directors must
some have argued that the rise in CEO board should have several meetings possess a full understanding of the
and other executive compensation to consider any significant acquisition reasons why mergers and acquisitions
is directly linked to the size of the proposal, spaced out over a reasonable typically fail and an understanding of
organization, thereby providing a period of time. The board should the best practices that management
management incentive for mergers require complete presentations by should be using. Directors should
and other acquisitions and may be management and outside experts on educate themselves on best practices by
partially motivated by CEO “hubris.” the proposed acquisition, including reading academic and other literature
A
s banks of 2009, an increase of approximately that a private sale is preferable to buying
and other 30% on an annualized basis. through bankruptcy because it involves
traditional lower transaction costs and requires less
sources of Although the current economic time to close. Further, a potential buyer
capital find their climate poses challenges to distressed in a bankruptcy context may spend time
balance sheets businesses, it may also provide and money negotiating with a target,
reflecting more opportunities for more economically just to find that it is the “stalking horse”
and more under- sound companies to acquire key assets in a bankruptcy auction and may be
performing or lines of business at bargain prices. outbid. A buyer in bankruptcy will also
Matthew M. McDonald assets, lending But are these deals too good to be true? be at the mercy of the schedule of the
standards bankruptcy court, which can be quite
continue to Suppose that you are approached different from the timeframes involved
tighten, leading by your management team with an in a typical corporate transaction. Once
to the well- opportunity to acquire the assets of the transaction costs of a bankruptcy
publicized lack a competitor at an attractive price. proceeding are factored in, the bargain
of commercial Management advises that the deal will price a purchaser thought it was getting
credit. need to close quickly, as the competitor may not be so attractive.
Alternative does not anticipate having sufficient
sources of liquidity to satisfy its outstanding Is it a deal or a steal?
capital, such as obligations. If the asset sale does not
Jennifer J. Kolton private equity close soon, the competitor will have If the board follows the advice of
financings or the public securities no choice but to file for bankruptcy management and negotiates a purchase
markets, are also out of reach for and seek to sell its assets off under the of key assets from a distressed competitor
many companies. The unprecedented supervision of the bankruptcy court. outside of bankruptcy, there are other
government spending packages issues to consider. While the purchaser
sponsored by the Bush and Obama As a director evaluating this situation, can, and should, use the negotiating
administrations have made funds one of the most important decisions to leverage provided by the target’s financial
available in certain key industries be made is whether your company is distress, the deal must provide reasonable
and to companies deemed “too big better off purchasing the assets offered value for the assets being acquired.
to fail,” but many businesses are outside of bankruptcy or allowing the
either unable to take advantage of the target company to file before seeking A buyer that engages in a purchase
government programs or unwilling to acquire the assets. Unfortunately, of assets with a distressed company
to accept the strings attached to the there is no “one-size-fits-all” answer, outside of bankruptcy risks that
funds being offered. As a result, an but here are some key questions to creditors in a subsequent bankruptcy
increasing number of companies find ask when contemplating a transaction will claim that the amount paid for
themselves facing a significant liquidity with a distressed company: the assets was too low. If the target
crisis, with many seeking protection company’s creditors successfully
in bankruptcy proceedings. The Have you considered the costs argue that the target was insolvent
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts at the time of the acquisition (or was
reports that over 43,000 businesses
beyond the purchase price? rendered insolvent by the acquisition),
filed for bankruptcy during 2008, while Bankruptcy can be time-consuming and and that the price paid was less than
the American Bankruptcy Institute expensive, both in terms of management the “reasonably equivalent value” of
reports over 14,000 bankruptcy filings attention and outside counsel fees. For the assets acquired, the court may
by businesses during the first quarter these reasons, many directors assume find that a fraudulent conveyance
W
hen times therefore understand the duties the board were both procedurally
are good, they owe to the stakeholders in the and substantively fair. A court’s
the goal corporations they serve and the determination as to whether to apply
of private equity impact of the corporation’s financial the intrinsic fairness test, given the
professionals condition on these obligations. higher standard to which this test
serving as subjects a director’s conduct, may
directors Directors typically owe the corporation dictate the outcome of a challenge to a
of portfolio and its shareholders a duty of care board’s decision and, at the very least,
companies and a duty of loyalty. The duty of care whether the challenge will survive a
Richard F. Hahn is relatively requires that directors exercise the summary judgment motion.
straight- degree of care that an ordinary and
forward— prudent person would use in similar What is intrinsic fairness?
maximization circumstances. The duty of loyalty
of value for the requires that directors act in good faith Courts have held that there are two
corporation’s in the best interests of the corporation aspects to the intrinsic fairness test:
shareholders. and its shareholders and that they not fair dealing and fair price. Fair dealing
Moreover, engage in self-dealing. focuses on the actual conduct of the
the interests directors in effecting the transaction,
of the two Challenges to directors’ decisions are including how the transaction was
constituencies generally difficult to sustain because initiated, structured and negotiated.
Jasmine Powers that the of the protection afforded to directors Fair price relates to the economic and
private equity by the “business judgment rule.” So financial terms of the transaction,
professional long as directors are not “interested” including a review of the value that
serves—his in the matter before them, they benefit an otherwise arm’s-length transaction
private equity from the presumption that they acted would provide. Courts focus on both
firm employer on an informed basis, in good faith elements of the test as part of an
and the portfolio and in the honest belief that their integrated analysis of all aspects of
company’s decision was in the best interest of the the transaction.
shareholders— corporation.
are typically When a corporation is solvent, the
aligned as the But the business judgment rule does directors only owe fiduciary duties to
Jessica Katz
private equity not apply where it can be shown the corporation and its shareholders.
firm is usually the portfolio company’s that a majority of the directors were Generally, creditors are entitled to only
largest shareholder. either interested in a transaction—by, those contractual rights set forth in
for example, standing on both sides their financing or other agreements.
When a portfolio company becomes of the transaction or expecting to However, once a corporation becomes
insolvent, however, the legal standard derive a personal and substantial insolvent, the directors’ fiduciary duties
by which the actions of a private financial benefit therefrom—or run to an expanded constituency that
equity professional serving on its lacked independence such that the encompasses not only the corporation
board are judged may be materially decision was not based on the merits and its shareholders but also the
more demanding. Private equity of the transaction. In these cases, the corporation’s creditors. The assumption
professionals serving as directors burden of proof shifts to the directors underlying this expansion is that once
of portfolio companies during the to show the “intrinsic fairness” of a corporation is insolvent, the residual
current economic downturn should the transaction—that the actions of value of the corporation may belong
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35
31.0% Is the “supply” of acquisition targets
30
Compared to in your primary company’s sector
2008, please 25 currently...
predict how M&A 21.8%
Greater than it was last year 37.0%
transactions 20 17.8% 17.8%
will look in Less than it was last year 19.9%
15
your primary 10.3% About the same as it was last year 43.2%
company’s 10
industry by the
end of 2009? 5 In your opinion, what will the “hottest”
1.1% regions be for M&A activity this year?
0
Significantly Slightly About Slightly Significantly Other (Multiple responses allowed)
more more the same less less
North America 58.2%
China 19.9%
Your Company’s Recent Which of the following factors do you
think will influence your company’s India 13.7%
M&A Experience
Has your primary company engaged M&A strategy throughout 2009? Asia 17.1%
in M&A activity in the past year? (Multiple responses allowed) Europe 20.5%
(Multiple responses allowed) Availability of attractive acquisition Middle East 5.5%
opportunities 62.8%
Yes, we purchased a company(ies) South America 12.3%
or business unit(s) 34.7% Availability of capital 42.8%
Africa 5.5%
Yes, we sold a company(ies) or The state of the economy 38.6%
Not Applicable 12.3%
business unit(s) 14.0% Current and predicted financial results 29.7%
Other 0.7%
Yes, but we did not make a Add-on acquisitions 30.3%
purchase or sale 18.7% Credit availability 29.7%
No 40.0%
In thinking about 2009 as a whole,
Global growth 23.4% which one of the following sectors do
Moving into/out of new lines of business 22.8% you think will prove to be the most
If yes, what was the approximate Regional growth 18.6% active in terms of M&A?
aggregate deal value of these Financial services 25.5%
Interest rates 11.7%
purchases/sales?
$221,526,565 Other 5.5% Technology 15.4%
Industrial 8.7%
Does your primary company plan Does your primary company plan Aerospace 0.7%
to purchase a company or line of to sell a company or line of Agriculture 0.7%
business before the end of 2009? business before the end of 2009? Biotechnology 12.1%
Yes Yes Media 4.7%
Other No Energy 10.1%
No
Other Consumer Products 4.7%
26.7% 16.1%
6.0%
Healthcare 10.7%
77.9%
7.3% 66.0% Other 6.7%
C
orporate public market trends and the results sellers will be influenced to consider
boards will not be attractive, resulting in the more creative ways of structuring deals
must not contraction of private equity firms. to bridge the gap between market and
lose sight of one intrinsic valuations.
of their primary The M&A market cycle will also swing
responsibilities— to smaller deals. With both stock and It sounds trite to say it is a buyer’s
to focus M&A market valuations down, deals market, but history supports this
management involving larger corporations are assertion. The vintage years of private
on strategy more likely driven by restructuring equity investment performance are
Joseph C. Lunkes development sellers versus acquirers pursuing those just after the recessionary periods
and long-term business performance. corporate development. In addition to of the mid 1990s and early 2000s.
This is especially true in today’s restructuring, activity in the middle Honest private equity professionals
market when the prevailing focus market will also be driven by the life will confide that this timing, and the
of management may be to impose cycle needs of aging entrepreneurs and market impact on cyclical valuations
constraints in response to recessionary private equity limited partnerships, both and deal structure, had a significant
conditions. A key component of an of whom will face increasing pressure to impact on their investment successes.
effective corporate development create a more liquid equity investment. In the context of current market
strategy is strategic acquisitions. outlook, directors would be wise to
In recent years, speed to close and push management to prepare for and
Like the economy, merger and value dominated the decision-making consider acquisitions now.
acquisition markets move in cyclical criteria for evaluating potential suitors.
patterns. Beyond the obvious cycles of These were the hallmarks of private Acquisition strategy
reduced deal activity and valuations, equity. Today, strength of financing
some cyclical trends are now favoring and strategic fit are key criteria sellers Acquisition activity should be driven
strategic acquirers. Boards of directors and their advisors use to assess suitors by corporate strategy. Some of the
would be wise to encourage their and assign a probability to close. With most successful strategic acquirers
management teams to prepare for and strong balance sheets and firm banking have achieved superior performance
exploit these opportunities. relationships, focused corporate through a series of small, incremental
acquirers should exploit this advantage. acquisitions. Acquisition targets must
The M&A cycle benefit a business unit’s performance
Conventional wisdom suggests that and competitive position. Targets
Private equity groups’ prominence in valuations are down and sellers will should expand a business’ intellectual
the acquisition market has faded and not be motivated until there is an properties, increase product offering
this trend will continue for several alignment of market values with their or customer reach, reduce costs, or
years. Syndicated credit markets intrinsic value. This is typically true improve asset utilization.
tapped to fund these acquisitions at the onset of a cyclical downturn
have dried up and will remain so but as noted above, the pressure of Acquisition strategy should involve
for the next few years. The stock weakened financial performance or different points of view with balanced
market decline has forced institutional non-economic life cycle considerations organizational decision making,
purveyors of private equity capital begin to mount. Credit market rather than a top-down activity.
to reassess their assets allocations conditions will compel weakened firms Successful acquirers have a common
and portfolio liquidity, resulting in to seek suitors at attractive acquisition trait of empowering unit managers
diminished capital allocations. Fund prices. As the duration of the cycle to seek out and sponsor acquisitions.
performances will catch up with becomes more apparent, life cycle Line managers are responsible for
Deals are down, multiples have hit bottom…but credit is still tight.
L
ast year in portfolio companies, helping them cut For some groups the requirements are
these pages costs, find new customers, and get too rich, so they are concentrating on
I noted that more sales from existing customers. add-on acquisitions that are easier to
M&A activity Some private equity groups have do because of existing equity in the
was dropping scaled back their staff, including Sun portfolio company.
and credit was Capital Partners and others.
tightening. The corporate side may afford lenders
Hopefully Corporate Strategic Acquisitions: more protection against losses as
we have hit Corporate acquisitions have fared corporations may have more in the
Charles K. Oppenheimer the bottom, better than private equity acquisitions. way of assets and cash flow to cover
although that doesn’t mean a return Many corporations see this downturn the debt should a loan go bad.
to historic levels anytime soon. It took as an opportunity to acquire market
a little longer than expected for the share, expand product lines, and Either way, bank covenants will
multiples to drop, and no question gain talent at reduced prices. Healthy be more stringent and banks will
deals are down. In spite of some who corporations have cash and can also be paying more attention to their
say credit is softening, I don’t see get financing for transactions. Strategic borrowers. Banks are very cautious
many signs of that. acquirers can look at a transaction about lending and many have scaled
differently than private equity that back their loan departments. Banks
What is the market for this year? needs to reach certain returns. are most likely to focus on the crème
Some deals will continue to get done la de crème borrowers with a good
but at lower multiples than last year. Foreign Buyers: Foreign buyers seem track record.
Financing for M & A transactions to remain skeptical of US investments.
remains very hard to get and I don’t If you track them over the years in Smaller Banks: Some smaller and
see it coming back very fast. good times as well as bad, many come regional banks that have not been
in strong but end up leaving. For hurt as badly; some have been willing
Private Equity: Private equity still has example, Marks & Spencer Group plc to do some financing for smaller
billions of dollars to put to work and in London acquired several companies acquisitions.
transactions continue to be completed. in the US but sold their last US
Estimated dry powder is in the range holding, Kings Supermarkets, in 2006. Non-Bank Sector: The non-bank
of $400 billion. Fund raising continues sectors have become an increasing
but at a slower rate. “PitchBook” reports Financing: Financing is probably source of financing for acquisitions.
that $296 billion was raised in 2008 the most difficult issue with all According to “PitchBook,” of the top 15
while only $81 billion has been raised transactions today. What most lenders in private equity (by number
the first half of 2009. Private equity borrowers will find with lenders is of financings provided), ten are non-
transactions are still getting done but it that they are not lending and if they banks or non-bank subsidiaries of
is much harder. Almost all transactions do you won’t like the covenants. For banks. Will these sources be able to
closed have an owner carryback a private equity group a transaction keep the cash flowing inward so they
component. The majority of the private has to be very attractive for a lender to can lend? CIT became a bank holding
equity community is focusing on add- consider financing, and even then the company so it could tap into TARP
ons for existing portfolio companies lender will expect the private equity money from the government (as have a
versus new platforms. group to put in anywhere from 40% couple of others).
to 60% of the price. The private equity
Many private equity groups have groups will also expect the selling Lending: Ultimately, banks need
focused on working with their owner(s) to carry back some paper. to lend money and the flow will
E
xecutive compensation is a c) Will generally be perceived as fair and
powerful tool for motivating a reasonable.
company’s management team B. If purchasing a company:
to grow the value of the corporation 1. Ensure that the appropriate incentives are in place
and accomplish its strategic to motivate key management to stay with the
objectives. Executive compensation company through the acquisition.
can also be a powerful tool to 2. Ensure that the company is paying a fair price for
influence positive outcomes in the incoming management team.
M&A activity. However, recent a) Careful due diligence and review of salary
Don Delves transactions like the acquisition levels, incentive plans and employment contracts
of Merrill Lynch by Bank of America remind us of the 1) Who has them?
potential for executive pay to get out of hand during a deal. 2) Are there any special ‘side deals’ or retention
Improperly structured incentives and golden parachutes bonuses?
can also present expensive roadblocks to otherwise b) Carefully analyze all golden parachute
desirable transactions. With the recent public outcry over provisions:
executive compensation, directors now more than ever 1) How much will senior management be paid:
need to be vigilant when overseeing the role of executive (a) At the time of the transaction?
compensation during M&A events. The following checklist (b) If terminated after the transaction?
covers the key questions that should be addressed by 2) Are the parachutes beneficial or detrimental
boards when considering a major corporate transaction: to the transaction?
3) Does management have an incentive to stay
I. What is the responsibility of the board during a with the company, or receive so much money
merger or acquisition (in terms of exercising duty of they can easily leave?
care and sound business judgment)? 4) Can the terms be re-negotiated to your
A. In the case of a sale: ensure that the shareholders get benefit?
the best possible price for the company. c) Assess the compatibility of the compensation
B. In the case of a purchase: transaction is aligned with programs:
shareholder interests, paying a fair price, appropriate 1) How do pay philosophies and practices of the
strategic fit, appropriate cultural fit, and everyone two companies compare?
knows what they are buying (due diligence). 2) How will differences be resolved?
II. What are the key issues a board should consider in III. Preparation is essential:
terms of executive pay during the transaction? A. Stay on top of succession planning. This will help
A. If selling the company: you understand where the key talent lies within your
1. Ensure that the appropriate incentives are in organization and identify any gaps. Understand who
place to motivate key management to stay with would be attractive to a potential buyer—figure out
the company, maximize its value, and facilitate a who the company needs to keep during a potential
smooth sale. sale or merger.
2. Do employment contracts exist? Then revisit 1. Are employment contracts necessary or will a well-
change-in-control provisions in employment designed incentive plan be sufficient to motivate
contracts to ensure that they: and retain talent?
a) Protect key members of the management team, 2. Employ purpose-driven change-in-control planning
b) Are attractive to potential buyers (eliminate to make sure parachute provisions are not
potential deterrents and poison pills), continued on page 53