Mergers And Acquisitions Lawyer Fairfax, VA
If you own a company and know that you will soon be performing a merger or acquisition, it is crucial that you understand the benefits and how this will affect you from a trusted Fairfax, VA mergers and acquisitions lawyer. The team at Mahdavi, Bacon, Halfhill & Young, PLLC knows that this process takes a great deal of preparation so that it can be as successful as possible and this is difficult to do when you do not have the benefit of having a seasoned lawyer by your side. When you are ready to seek help from a member of our team, give our office a call to set up your consultation now.
Learn More About Mergers and Acquisitions
When you are ready to learn more about these different processes, it is beneficial to speak with a lawyer about any questions you may have and see how each approach could make your business better or more efficient.
What is a merger?
A merger is the process of two companies coming together. This usually has many advantages and happens with two companies that have roughly the same number of employees. Your Fairfax mergers and acquisitions lawyer knows that this can:
- Help both companies run more efficiently and decrease overall costs
- Help pool together talented employees into one company
- Help companies spread their risk and diversify their portfolios
What is an acquisition?
An acquisition happens when one company (often a larger more financially stable company) comes in and purchases another company. Whether the acquisition is hostile or friendly will depend entirely on the relationship that the companies have with one another and it is important to understand that, while beneficial, the company that is acquired will not be on equal standing with the company that acquired it. That said, one of the greatest benefits to this is often for the acquired company. If a small business is failing or its CEO moved on, this can leave the smaller business floundering. A larger company coming in and acquiring a smaller company can allow people to keep their jobs.
How can a lawyer help?
When you work with a lawyer who specializes in mergers and acquisitions, you are getting someone who will help draft negotiations and agreements, can work with financial advisers, can review contractions and permits, can work to identify all actions that must be completed before, during, and after the merger or acquisitions, and provide valuable advice during the process. These are just a few ways that a lawyer can help during this time.
What if something goes wrong?
If something goes wrong during the merger and acquisition or litigation becomes necessary, it is extremely important to have a lawyer by your side who will know if the contract was breached or if further negotiations are necessary. Lawyers can be invaluable during this time.
When you are ready to move forward with a merger or acquisition and would like legal help, contact Mahdavi, Bacon, Halfhill & Young, PLLC. Our Fairfax mergers and acquisitions lawyer is ready to help you now.
Antitrust Laws
A Fairfax, VA mergers and acquisitions lawyer knows that when companies are seeking to merge or form engage in an acquisition, it is critical to adhere to all the federal and state antitrust laws and policies put in place in order to avoid serious legal issues.
Businesses should be able to compete freely in the marketplace, and their success or failure should rest on their ability to provide quality goods or services at a fair price. Unfortunately, there are many cases where businesses may be negatively affected by unfair competition, and other companies may seek to gain an advantage by taking actions that are illegal.
Antitrust laws are in place to ensure that a merger or acquisition will not create a monopoly or enable the company to have excessive market power. These laws provide a way for a business to pursue litigation against a company the business is accusing of unlawful activities and requires them to pay compensation for losses the business claims occurred.
The following is a brief overview of Virginia’s laws and potential violations, however, any company seeking to engage in a merger or acquisition should contact Mahdavi, Bacon, Halfhill & Young, PLLC.
Virginia Antitrust Act
Businesses are prohibited from taking actions that would create a monopoly or otherwise restrict free trade and competition. Violations include engaging in price-fixing in which multiple competitors agree to set prices at certain rates rather than pricing their products or services competitively, or they may agree to divide certain customer groups, regions, or markets between different competitors.
Companies may also participate in bid-rigging by agreeing to suppress or alternate bids for different projects rather than engaging in fair bidding with competitors. In some cases, companies may use coercive practices such as bundling products or services together to prevent customers from seeking out a fair price from a competitor.
Virginia Trade Secrets Act
A company may seek to obtain information about their competitors’ proprietary practices, and they may use this information to gain an unfair advantage in the marketplace. Any misappropriation of trade secrets, including theft of company records, acquisition of data that was known to be obtained illegally, or disclosure of private information, is prohibited by this law.
Virginia Consumer Protection Act
Competitors are prohibited from taking actions that would cause confusion for customers, such as advertising or selling goods or services that customers would reasonably believe were provided by another company. Other prohibited practices include making false claims about the ingredients, materials, or quality of a company’s products or advertising goods or services without the intent of providing what was advertised or meeting public demand.
Contact Our Firm Today
When pursuing litigation to address unfair business practices, a company may seek an injunction that will require a competitor to cease illegal activity. They may also pursue compensation for losses that they experienced because another company violated the law. A Fairfax mergers and acquisitions lawyer from Mahdavi, Bacon, Halfhill & Young, PLLC can help defend against these charges. Call our office today to schedule a confidential consultation and find out what legal options you may have.