Mergers

AT&T, WorldCom, DaimlerChrysler, Quaker Oats, United Airlines, Sears, and Mattel all did megabillion-dollar flops

These highly touted, high-profile mergers failed miserably. Even to most experts and advisors they looked good on paper. However, until now, it was hard to know exactly what to look for!

Mergers: What Can Go Wrong and How to Prevent It changes that. Noted authority Patrick Gaughan researches past merger successes and failures and zeros in on determining factors. He goes beyond the financials and strategies to examine the motives, the process, the laws, valuations, the role of corporate governance, and current trends in mergers.

If you're a CEO, COO, accountant, auditor, corporate attorney, consultant, director, or shareholder, this book keeps you from being swept up by merger-mania and tells you what to look for, and what to look out for, in mergers.

As companies increasingly look to mergers and acquisitions as a source of new growth and revenue in today's competitive environment, it's vital to learn from the past and avoid costly merger mistakes. Company leaders need reliable answers to such questions as:
* Why do some mergers fail miserably while others prosper?
* Is there a common denominator for the failures?
* What role do CEOs play in the success/failure equation?
* Can businesses learn from merger mistakes?

Mergers: What Can Go Wrong and How to Prevent It answers these questions and more.

Complete with numerous real-world case histories of high-profile, high-stakes failures and successes, this book objectively analyzes previous mergers and explains:
* What potential buyers should look for when picking a target
* What potential buyers should look out for when picking a target-characteristics to steer clear of
* Pitfalls to avoid during the merger and acquisition process

Mergers identifies key characteristics of successful mergers by companies such as GE and Cisco, and it also provides pitfalls to avoid by examining mergers that failed, including AT&T, DaimlerChrysler, WorldCom, Quaker Oats, United Airlines, Sears, and Mattel. All research is illustrated with informative exhibits and tables to help readers grasp important concepts.

Mergers extracts important findings from a wide variety of pragmatic research that managers and directors can apply to avoid failed deals. Presented in an easy-to-understand manner, readers get the benefit of the bottom-line conclusions from years of research in this area. It also shows how companies should be valued so as to avoid overpaying. The book is a must-read for all those contemplating buying or merging with another company. In addition, the corporate governance of mergers and acquisitions is carefully analyzed.

If you're a CEO, CFO, COO, financial manager, consultant, or board member of a company that might be involved in a merger or acquisition; if you're a stockholder who wants to determine if a merger or acquisition is really in your best interest; if you're a businessperson who needs to understand mergers and acquisitions in order to better position or protect your company-this is a must-read! It's the risk-free way to learn from others' merger-related mistakes.