“Legal Due Diligence in JVS and M&As” presented by Picharn Sukparangsee at the Conference on “Legal & Financial Due Diligence Strategies for Successful Acquisitions, JVs & Strategic Alliances” arranged by the Asia Business Forum on October 28-29, 2010 at the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel, Bangkok
LEGAL DUE DILIGENCE IN JVS AND M&As I. LEGAL RATIONAL FOR DUE DILIGENCE II. SCOPE OF DUE DILIGENCE IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS III. AVOIDING PITFALLS AND SOLUTIONS IV. CASE STUDY
I. LEGAL RATIONAL FOR DUE DILIGENCE
LEGAL RATIONAL FOR DUE DILIGENCE M&A amalgamation merger takeover acquisition of shares or assets Joint venture unincorporated joint venture incorporated joint venture
LEGAL RATIONAL FOR DUE DILIGENCE comply with laws and regulations identify and solve legal problems protect an interested party from any legal liability due diligence as used as defence in any lawsuit enable a legal claim against a defaulting party
Financial due diligence by financial advisor LEGAL RATIONAL FOR DUE DILIGENCE Types of due diligence Financial due diligence by financial advisor accounting due diligence by auditor legal due diligence by legal advisor technical due diligence by technical consultant
I. LEGAL RATIONAL FOR DUE DILIGENCE Methods applied in the conduct of legal due diligence management discussion and analysis review and summary of agreements and documents representations and warranties under agreements issuance of legal opinion
I. LEGAL RATIONAL FOR DUE DILIGENCE Fiduciary duties of directors duty of care duty of loyalty duty of obedience duty of disclosure
I. LEGAL RATIONAL FOR DUE DILIGENCE Obligations of directors under laws duties of care no conflict of interest no competition with the business of the company no sale , no purchase or doing business with the company unless approved by the board of directors disclosure of interest in any contract , shareholding and bondholding no loan to a director or an employee unless made under the regulations on the welfare or any law comply with laws and regulations
II. SCOPE OF DUE DILIGENCE IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS
SCOPE OF DUE DILIGENCE IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS Examples of important laws Civil and Commercial Code Public Limited Company Act Securities and Exchange Act Foreign Business Act Land Code Investment Promotion Act Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand Act Factory Act Building Control Act Act on Mortgage of Machinery Foreign Employment Act Immigration Act
SCOPE OF DUE DILIGENCE IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS Examples of important laws Revenue Code and Double Taxation Agreements Customs Act Excise Act Financial Institutions Business Act Foreign Exchange Act Environmental Protection and Promotion Act Competition Act Labour Protection Act Act on Establishment and procedures of the tax court Trade Mark Act Copyright Act Patent Act
Conduct of legal due diligence SCOPE OF DUE DILIGENCE IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS Conduct of legal due diligence Affidavit, Memorandum and Articles of Association and the list of shareholders shall be reviewed. Financial statements of the target company shall be provided. MOU is signed between a seller and a purchaser. Confidential undertaking is signed by the purchaser. A kick-off meeting between a seller and its advisors and a purchaser and its advisors.
Conduct of legal due diligence SCOPE OF DUE DILIGENCE IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS Conduct of legal due diligence Roles of local advisors and foreign advisors. Data room and documents List of requested legal due diligence documents Legal due diligence questions Interview directors and/or the management Site visit Preparation of memorandum A draft and a final legal due diligence report
Legal due diligence report Disclaimer provision Executive summary SCOPE OF DUE DILIGENCE IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS Legal due diligence report Disclaimer provision Executive summary
SCOPE OF DUE DILIGENCE IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS Summary of Documents corporate documents licences, concessions , permits , certificates and approval financing agreements material agreements land title deeds , land documents, buildings , factories , machinery and equipment insurance trade mark , copyright and patent employment environmental issues regulatory requirements tax disputes litigation and arbitration
Articles of association List of shareholders SCOPE OF DUE DILIGENCE IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS Corporate documents Affidavit Memorandum Articles of association List of shareholders Holding company, subsidiary, related company and affiliated companies Notices and minutes of the meetings of the management Continue
Notices and minutes of the board of directors meetings SCOPE OF DUE DILIGENCE IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS Corporate documents Notices and minutes of the board of directors meetings Notices and minutes of the general meetings of shareholders Groups of shareholders A branch A representative office A regional office Regional operating headquarters
Corporate Issues to be focused upon Major shareholders SCOPE OF DUE DILIGENCE IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS Corporate Issues to be focused upon Major shareholders Authorized directors Restriction on transfer of shares Important matters as approved by the board of directors Important matters as approved by the meeting of shareholders
Licenses, permits, approval, certificates BOI privileged certificate SCOPE OF DUE DILIGENCE IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS Licenses, permits, approval, certificates BOI privileged certificate foreign shareholding ownership of land tax exemption and reduction exemption of importation of raw material and finished products work permits for experts and technicians
government industrial estate private industrial estate Factories SCOPE OF DUE DILIGENCE IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS IEAT government industrial estate private industrial estate Factories types of factory licences construction license use of building license
syndicated loan agreement underwriting agreement SCOPE OF DUE DILIGENCE IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS Financial Agreements single loan agreement syndicated loan agreement underwriting agreement subscription agreement purchase agreement mortgage agreements pledge agreements assignment agreements ISDA Master Agreement
joint venture agreement consortium agreement shareholders agreement SCOPE OF DUE DILIGENCE IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS Material agreements joint venture agreement consortium agreement shareholders agreement share sale and purchase agreement asset sale and purchase agreement Issues in the Agreements representations and warranties affirmative covenants negative covenants events of default
percentage of the total assets percentage of the total revenues SCOPE OF DUE DILIGENCE IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS Materiality test percentage of the total assets percentage of the total revenues percentage of profits material adverse effect or change Land Documents land title deeds land utilization certificate land possession certificate mortgage and other encumbrances over property
Intellectual property trademark and trade service copyright SCOPE OF DUE DILIGENCE IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS Intellectual property trademark and trade service copyright patent (product patent and process patent) know-how Licensing Agreement Know-how Agreement Technical Assistance Agreement
law on establishment and procedures of labour courts SCOPE OF DUE DILIGENCE IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS Human resources labour protection law labour relation law law on establishment and procedures of labour courts Environmental compliance environmental impact assessment report health impact assessment report
life and non-life insurances product liability insurance SCOPE OF DUE DILIGENCE IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS Insurance life and non-life insurances product liability insurance professional insurance Dispute settlement litigation vs arbitration professional expert, arbitrators , umpire, judges Governing law issues on conflict of laws
administrative courts SCOPE OF DUE DILIGENCE IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS Courts Constitution Court Court of justice ordinary courts of justice- courts of first instance, courts of appeal and the Supreme Court special courts of justice- labour courts, tax court, intellectual property and international trade court or IP and IT court, bankruptcy court administrative courts
place of domicile of defendant place of location of property SCOPE OF DUE DILIGENCE IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS Court forum place of domicile of defendant place of location of property place of occurrence of tort place of committing an offence
Land and structure Tax Act Municipality Tax Act SCOPE OF DUE DILIGENCE IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS Tax issues Revenue Code Customs Act Excise Tax Act Signboard Tax Act Land and structure Tax Act Municipality Tax Act
Double taxation agreements taxation of income taxation of capital SCOPE OF DUE DILIGENCE IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS Revenue Code personal income tax, corporate income tax value added tax specific business tax stamp duty Double taxation agreements taxation of income taxation of capital
Examples of frequent opinions on laws and regulations SCOPE OF DUE DILIGENCE IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS Examples of frequent opinions on laws and regulations opinion on foreign shareholding opinion on ownership and mortgage of land and building opinion on creation and enforcement of security opinion on investment promotion opinion on joint venture and consortium opinion on bankruptcy and liquidation
Opinion on use of a branch, an office or a subsidiary SCOPE OF DUE DILIGENCE IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS Tax opinions Opinion on use of a branch, an office or a subsidiary opinion on share purchase opinion on asset purchase opinion on sale of goods and provision of services opinion on royalty and service fees opinion on dividend and interest opinion on dividend and capital gains
Memorandum of understanding Term sheet sale and purchase agreement SCOPE OF DUE DILIGENCE IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS Legal Documentation Memorandum of understanding Term sheet sale and purchase agreement shareholders agreement joint venture agreement loan agreement security agreement
III. AVOIDING PITFALLS AND SOLUTIONS
III. AVOIDING PITFALLS AND SOLUTIONS All material documents have not been disclosed. Some documents have severe legal issues. Documents are produced periodically. Documents are not completely provided. No correct, true and accurate information has been given. Complicated transactions and waxed issues A limited period for legal due diligence Important issues are missing. An executive summary does not reflect significant issues.
III. AVOIDING PITFALLS AND SOLUTIONS Problems Licences are not renewed Failure to meet financial ratio such as debt to equity ration and interest coverage ratio Restriction on foreign shareholding limit Trade secret and confidential information Infringement of intellectual property Non-compliance with laws and regulations Taxes are not paid or are incorrectly paid. floating charge non perfect security outright and conditional assignments Legal cases are pending and are not updated. Business rehabilitation or liquidation of a subsidiary Novation and assignment Legal and beneficial interest
AVOIDING PITFALLS AND SOLUTIONS Solutions to Problems Detailed representations and warranties strict undertakings escrow agreement right of first refusal tag-along or drag-along provision indemnification events of default – cross default , negative pledge, material adverse change termination Governing law Arbitration or ligation
IV. CASE STUDY
lease of land owned by a state enterprise IV. CASE STUDY Case study lease of land owned by a state enterprise 2 sets of bank accounts- on balance sheet bank accounts and off-balance sheet bank account Related transactions Acquisition or disposition of assets Licences have not been renewed
Thank you for your attention SIAM CITY LAW OFFICES LIMITED 183 Rajanakarn Building, 20th Floor, South Sathorn Road, Bangkok 10120, Thailand Tel: (662) 676-6668 Fax: (662) 676-6188 E-mail : picharn@siamcitylaw.com www.siamcitylaw.com