Legal Mergers & Acquisitions Expert (LM&A)

Fees & Key Facts about M&A Law Trainings
- Onsite and Virtual Live: 30 hours; Online: approx. 60 hours
- Leading faculty from academia, leading law firms and inhouse legal teams
- Split into four, easy-to-digest modules
- Content updated regularly
- Prerequisite: Hold an academic degree (e.g. PhD, JD, DBA, LLM, MBA or Bachelor Degree); and/or hold one or more professional designations (such as CPA, CFA, CAIA or equivalent)
- Online Program $3’290 USD
- Virtual Live Program $4’390 USD

Included
- Life-long access to the most up-to-date online course content*
- Onsite programs include hard copies of all presentations and materials
- LM&A Charter and Designation upon completion
- First year of Annual Membership Fee
- Access to the entire IMAA e-Library
- Global network of charterholders and experts
- Continued Education / Continued Professional Development: 10 hours bi-annually of relevant online or onsite education provided by IMAA (online CE/CPD included in the annual membership fee)
What to Expect From M&A Law Certification
The LM&A certificate provides participants with a solid foundation in M&A and prepares them for the various challenges during the deal and equip them with the best practices and a thorough understanding of relevant legal aspects.
In order to add more value to deals by providing adequate legal advice, understand the M&A process, goals and roles of the various people and perspectives involved. In addition to conducting a Legal Due Diligence, get a better view on other due diligence areas as well.
Different types of mergers lead to different types of challenges in the legal arena. Learn to manage multiple legal challenges that arise in different geographies and jurisdictions.
Receive an exclusive look on Best Practices when evaluating agreements and identify red flags which may arise during deal evaluation.
Learn from our experts how to successfully navigate through employment contracts, anti-trust and competition law and intellectual property law.
Included In The M&A Law Course
The LM&A program is structured in four modules based on our LM&A Framework and Body of Knowledge for Mergers & Acquisitions. It consists of four modules:
This module covers the fundamentals of Mergers & Acquisitions:
Â
- Deal types: What are the different types of transactions that you can use in M&A? There is a whole range of deal types and deal continuum that we look at, e.g. the full spectrum from minority stakes to full acquisitions, various ways to arrange a merger, leveraged buy outs (LBOs), initial public offerings (IPOs), divestitures, spin-offs, and equity carve-outs.
- M&A Process: The program covers both perspectives from a buyer’s perspective (buy side) and from a seller’s perspective (sell-side). We explore how to seek buyers or potential targets (long list & short list) and how to run a sale in various ways (negotiations and auctions).
- Strategies for M&A: We dive into the strategies for Mergers & Acquisitions. How can you create competitive advantage through M&A, divestitures and equity alliance?
- M&A Negotiation: How can you prepare for the negotiation phase? What are ways to arrange a value creating deal?
- Introduction to Due Diligence: How do you prepare for and execute a smart Due Diligence to assure value creation? What are the different areas that can be covered in the Due Diligence process?
- Success Factors in Transactions: We explore the success factors and key challenges and mistakes to avoid. Which M&A tactics work in which industries?
- Takeover Strategies and Defense Tactics: How can you prepare your company against a hostile takeover attempt and reduce potential threats? Which are the defense mechanisms that you can put into place and how affective are they? Which ways exist to acquire a business successfully in a hostile way?
Learning Outcomes for Essentials of M&A
Â
- Understand the different methods companies can acquire or merge another firm
- Distinguish between Management Buy Outs and Management Buy Ins
- Differentiate between spin-off, split-off & carve-outs
- Classify horizontal & vertical mergers
- Identify different strategies companies use to exit investments
- Classify types of tender offers and what constitutes them
- Analyze and compare different ownership shapes & structures
- Identify growth factors in M&A transactions
- Structure and manage M&A portfolios
- Identify value adding factors in M&A
- Identify value destroying factors
- Analyze various success measurement test & methods
- Classify drivers of profitability in M&A
- Analyze historical M&A waves and their driving factors
- Identify factors in Cross Border M&A activity
- European, Emerging markets, based on regions
- Evaluate historically largest deals
- Define characteristics of M&A waves
- Understand the buy and sell side process, covering both the traditional and holistic view
- Distinguish between the role of advisors and working with them in an M&A setting
- Establish framework for potential target buyer and seller searches
- Identifying relevant industries, companies, locations, financial advisors
- Preparing long and short lists
- How do M&A deals originate and the deal flow
- Discuss necessary agreements and documents in M&A deals
- Construct due diligence plans and activities
- Conducting and updating findings over the transaction lifecycle
- Organizing due diligence teams and data room management
- Identify various areas that require due diligence runs
- Conduct due diligence in a cross-border setting
- Create a minimalistic due diligence
- Identify warning signs in due diligence results
- Judge past and present takeovers battles
- Analyze takeover attacks and strategies for defense
In the Due Diligence module, we discuss the key questions and topics to address in a due dilligence. It covers the following areas of DD in depth:
Â
- Financial Due Diligence
- Tax Due Diligence
- Legal Due Diligence
- Human Resources (HR) Due Diligence
- Commercial Due Diligence and
- other Due Diligence areas
Learning Outcomes for Due Diligence
Â
- Determine potential deal breakers, negotiations and quality of earnings
- Differentiate between a DD and an audit
- Recognize tax exposures and liabilities
- Analyze different types of taxes
- Structure transactions
- Analyzing current and future liabilities
- Selecting the right legal counsel
- Legal and contractual obstacles
- Analyzing employment contracts, compensation & labor agreements
- Conducting a cultural due diligence
- Running a management audit
- Conceptual & general tools for industry analysis
- Analyze current and potential customers
- Conduct a product and technology portfolio analysis
- Structuring the deal
- Understanding and drafting different types of agreements
- Evaluating agreements
- Negotiation and Dispute Resolution
- Governance
Learning Outcomes for Legal Issues in M&A 1
Â
- Acquisition techniques
- Statutory merger, consolidation
- Cash out
- Stock swap
- Procedures for specific merger types
- Hostile friendly and takeover – Antitakeover provisions
- Asset acquisitions
- (Listed vs non-listed) Stock acquisition – Single step, two step
- Triangular mergers
- LBOs
- Governmental Approvals – Antitrust, Foreign Investment
- Earn-Outs
- Puts and Calls – terms and conditions on the exercise of the option
- W&I Insurance
- Guaranty Agreement
- Are there commercial alternatives to the acquisition?
- Drafting agreements,
- Confidentiality, letter of intent, standstill, exclusivity, etc.
- Share Purchase Agreement (SPA)
- Reps and warranties – fundamental res;
- Standard reps
- Caps, baskets and time limits
- Multiple sellers
- Fraud
- Employment Agreements
- Transition Services
- Earn-Out
- Minority Interest and Shareholders Agreement
- Best practices
- Possible red flags
- Counterparty rational when evaluating agreements
- Understanding the buy and sell side of negotiation
- Possible roadblocks in negotiation
- Culture aspects
- Role of the board during M&A, legal liabilities
- Decisions process
- Deal protection, covenants
- Fiduciary responsibilities,
- Compliance with securities watchdog, review of offer
- Tax considerations
- Employment
- Intellectual Property (Commercial law)
- Compliance – Human Rights (ESG risks)
- M&A Litigation
- Anti-Trust Laws (Competition law)
- Securities Law / Takeovers
- Bankruptcy law/distressed asset
Learning Outcomes for Legal Issues in M&A 2
Â
- Implications of tax law
- Taxable transactions and relevant regulation
- Tax free transactions and applicability
- Employment at will/relevant regulations
- Compensation and rewards
- Employee contract diligence / unions
- Possible golden parachutes
- Non-competes – employment contracts
- Successorship and layoffs
- Equalizing compensation and benefit programs
- Severance policies – does transaction trigger severance
- Different laws applicable in different geo location, global applicability
- Patents
- Copyrights
- Trade secrets
- Trademarks
- Licenses
- Registration processes, possible points of contention
- Findings during due diligence (liability beyond contractual arrangements)
- Post-closing liability for breach of anti-corruption / human rights rules by target company.
- Best practices
- Possible red flags
- Essential litigation related clauses in contracts
- Anti-trust review process, relevant bodies
- Laws governing anti-trust
- Interpretation of anti-trust laws
- Analysis of mergers and exemptions
- How to handle tender offers/takeovers of public companies
- Mandatory tender offers
- Distressed assets/companies
- Liquidation process, compliance
- Reorganization
- Bankruptcy / Auction
- Disclosure
Who participates
While you will meet an international mix of participants from various industries, the Legal Mergers & Acquisitions program is designed for legal professionals (inhouse or lawyers) as well as for mid-management to senior executives in the C-Suite, directors of public and private companies, board leaders, and heads of strategy and corporate development. It might also be suitable for management consultants, advisers, investment bankers, and private equity investors. Individuals and teams are welcome to attend.
By Function

By Industry

By Region

We’re Trusted By








Designation
The LM&A is the most international designation offered in the field of M&A. This charter signals to peers, clients, and other professionals that you have completed the most comprehensive M&A education program available and are proficient in all areas of the mergers and acquisitions process.
Â
After successfully completing the program, you will receive the LM&A Charter as a soft copy as well as a digital seal for use on your social media profile and/or other websites.


FAQ’s
We are the global number #1 provider in M&A education. Participants sign up or companies send their employees in order to prepare for transactions or to enhance their qualification. Future employers reach out to us to check the credentials of candidates and their current status as a charterholder. Potential clients look to us to recommend advisors. We are a high quality provider and are recognized by many other institutions as a continued education provider. Find out more about our accreditations and recognition.
Feature | Online | Onsite |
Real-life business cases | ![]() | ![]() |
All mandatory course materials included | ![]() | ![]() |
Lifelong online access to most current content | ![]() | ![]() |
1-year Individual IMAA Membership | ![]() | ![]() |
Start right away | ![]() | |
On-Demand video lectures & direct tutoring | ![]() | |
Full flexibility | ![]() | |
No time constraint | ![]() | |
Work from anywhere in the world | ![]() | |
Different dates & locations worldwide | ![]() |
|
Interactive discussions | ![]() |
|
Networking with peers | ![]() |
|
Complete the program in 6 days | ![]() |
|
Meet face to face with faculty | ![]() |
The LM&A Certification is designed as a part-time program for professionals. The total time of completion depends on your prior background and time you can devote to this. In total for the online program it may take about 60 hours of study. Our fastest participants complete it within 2 months.
Our tuition fees include all mandatory and recommended study materials. In addition you get access to our e-library.
You can enroll at any time for the Certificate Program online and start right away. For our onsite M&A courses please check the dates and locations.
Yes, you can take the entire program online from anywhere in the world or while travelling. This is what many of our participants do. For the completion of the M&A Certification there is no physical attendance necessary. However, you can combine online with onsite workshops to reach your designation.
Our courses and programs in Mergers & Acquisitions, Due Diligence, Valuation and Post Merger Integration (PMI) have taken by more than 2’200 participants from all around the world.
We are the number #1 provider and set the standards. Compared with academic executive education offerings, our faculty members are not pure academics – they have closed M&A deals as professionals themselves. So you not only gain theoretical insights, but you will learn hands-on knowledge. Compared with for-profit providers, we are purely focused on M&A trainings and bring in a solid foundation, great structured approach to learning, and the international dimension – and we reinvest in improving our offering.
If you compare our programs with the CFA, CAIA, CIMA, or others – we are purely focused on M&A only and are very complementary to these programs. There is very little overlap among the content and insights that our programs provide. Most of them accept our program as continued education.
Request your 15 minute Free Live Demo
Testimonials

Dr. Jürg Stucker

- Valuation

Paolo Buiatti

- IM&A

Rodrigo Tona

- IM&A

Martha Ross, CPA

- IM&A

Samuel Buma

- IM&A
Registration
Take the only international Legal M&A program online available wordwide:Show More...
- Real world content developed and instructed by legal M&A practitioners
- Well structured and balanced content to understand business and legal isses
- Materials specifically designed for online use
You can complete the program part-time while working and without the need to travel to any course or examination location.
This bundle includes all 4 modules:
- Essentials of M&A
- Due Diligence
- Legal 1
- Legal 2
Register now and get started with your LM&A Certification program!
Show Less...Take the only international Legal M&A program online available wordwide:Show More...
- Real world content developed and instructed by legal M&A practitioners
- Well structured and balanced content to understand business and legal isses
- Materials specifically designed for online use
You can complete the program part-time while working and without the need to travel to any course or examination location.
This bundle includes all 4 modules:
- Essentials of M&A
- Due Diligence
- Legal 1
- Legal 2
Register now and get started with your LM&A Certification program!
Show Less...The Essentials of M&A module provides you with a solid foundation in M&A so you can deep dive in integration issues laster. This module covers:Show More...
- Various deal types
- M&A Process (buy- and sell-side)
- Strategies for M&A
- Introduction to Due Diligence
- Success Factors in Transactions:
- Takeover Strategies and Defence Tactics in Hostile M&A
For more detailed information, please refer to the content tab above.
Show Less...The Due Diligence module covers in detail:Show More...
- Financial Due Diligence
- Tax Due Diligence
- Legal Due Diligence
- Human Resource / HR Due Diligence
- other Due Diligence areas (e.g. Commercial Due Diligence, Antitrust Due Diligence, Environmental Due Diligence, IT Due Diligence, etc.)
The Commercial, Contact & Labor Law module covers:Show More...
- Structuring the deal
- Understanding and drafting different types of agreements
- Evaluating agreements
- Negotiation and Dispute Resolution
- Governance
For more detailed information, please refer to the content tab above.
Show Less...The Anti-Trust, Intellectual Property & Regulatory Affairs module covers:Show More...
- Tax considerations
- Employment
- Intellectual Property (Commercial law)
- Compliance – Human Rights (ESG risks)
- M&A Litigation
- Anti-Trust Laws (Competition law)
- Securities Law / Takeovers
- Bankruptcy law/distressed asset
For more detailed information, please refer to the content tab above.
Show Less...