Mergers & Acquisitions

International enterprises face unique challenges when merging with or acquiring entities. Mergers and acquisitions of entities holding a federal license such as a customs broker license or Federal Maritime Commission license also pose complex M&A issues. Care must be taken to ensure that the entities involved in the transaction comply with all licensing requirements throughout the transaction so as to both avoid penalties and also retain their valuable licenses that can take months to replace if canceled by operation of law. When counseling clients during mergers or acquisitions, we formulate creative restructuring approaches to comply with applicable administrative regulations.

We have counseled freight forwarders and NVOCCs in valuing their operations for the purpose of selling shares or assets. We counsel on how to market and effectively find a buyer for going concerns, and assist in maximizing a business’ value to obtain the highest return possible. For clients acquiring entities, we assist in evaluating options for outside financing and perform due diligence from a regulatory perspective so that the acquiring company does not unknowingly assume liability for the target’s existing export control or Customs violations.