So you want to make this official, sort of? Letters of Intent
You figured out what you want and how much its worth, now what? Do you still fear the commitment? Well, a letter of intent is a good next step in the acquisition/sale process which can make life a bit simpler when the purchase agreement gets drafted and the closing occurs. A letter of intent (“LOI”) essentially lays out that you are serious about the transaction, but aren’t quite ready to fully commit to the deal.
An LOI is usually drafted by the buyer’s counsel and addressed to the seller. LOIs are a helpful part of the transaction process because it can:
- Settle on key deal points early in the process;
- Clarify what needs to be investigated and minimize any misunderstandings; and
- Provide for deal process stability and commitment, without the burden of a full obligation of a purchase agreement.
Lastly, an LOI is generally non-binding, except that it may include some standard legally binding provisions relating to exclusivity of negotiations, confidentiality, governing law and expenses. Below are some helpful articles which can help you through the LOI process:
- Do’s and don’ts once a letter of intent is signed – Houston Business Journal (bizjournals.com)
- How To Write A Letter Of Intent (LOI) (forbes.com)
- All Hail Letters of Intent | Inc.com
Here are some other items of interest:
- U.S. House Re-introduces Death Tax Repeal Act (nfib.com)
- NFIB, Forbes Discuss Small Business Optimism in 2024
- 2022 New Jersey M&A Trends Report: Spring 2023 (dakgroup.com)
- Latest Monthly Update from August Wealth Management (thanks to Howie Greenberg for sharing)
- Economic Review: February 2024 – Silvercrest (silvercrestgroup.com) (thanks to Sean O’Dowd for sharing)
- December 2023 Commentary: 10 Takeaways from Anirban Basu’s Economic Update for Stonebridge | Stonebridge Financial Group (stonebridgefg.com)
- January 2024 Commentary: 2023 Market & Economy Review and 2024 Look Forward | Stonebridge Financial Group (stonebridgefg.com)
- Employee Retention Credit Voluntary Disclosure Program Eligibility – RKL LLP (rklcpa.com)
- Three Ways to Protect Business Value amidst Rising Interest Rates | RKL LLP (rklcpa.com)
As always, please don’t hesitate to email myself (jsanders@mpl-law.com), Andy Miller (amiller@mpl-law.com), Christian Miller (cmiller@mpl-law.com), Erik Spurlin (espurlin@mpl-law.com), Brad Leber (bleber@mpl-law.com) or anyone in our office with questions or comments.
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