Pay Attention to “Pre-Marital” Doubts When Considering a Business Partnership
I recently advised a company that was going to provide services for a customer that also wished to purchase equity in the company. The company thought the customer might be a valuable strategic partner. The negotiations, however, became protracted as the customer and its counsel insisted on certain points in the deal. This insistence caused the company to rethink whether the customer would be the appropriate strategic partner. After reconsidering this assumption, the company decided to move forward with providing the services, but to postpone the equity investment.
This situation reinforces my notion that negotiating a deal is much like the dating phase prior to getting married. If you see behavior that concerns you during the negotiation phase, it’s likely that such behavior will only become magnified once the business marriage is consummated and your concerns could become real problems.
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Justin S. Daniels is the trusted legal quarterback providing corporate and commercial real estate advice to fast-growing, privately held entrepreneurial businesses. Mr. Daniels’ corporate practice consists of representing businesses and business owners in all aspects of their operations, from structuring new ventures to advising on acquisitions and divestitures, as well as reviewing and negotiating key vendor, franchise, employment and customer contracts. He has specific experience representing clients in the technology, manufacturing and professional services industries. He also represents international companies that have U.S. operations located in Georgia. He currently represents companies from the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Sweden and Canada. jdaniels@bakerdonelson.com 678-406-8706