Association for Corporate Growth - Philadelphia Chapter

PRESENTS

Programs

At M&A East, you'll hear from leading authorities on corporate growth and M&A financing in two education concurrent sessions. Our panel experts will engage one another and audience members with interactive dialogue and delve into topics that are top of mind to dealmakers and M&A professionals. Also offered at this year’s Conference is a special Negotiations session presented by Wharton Professor Richard Shell.

9:40 – 10:50 AM
The Art of Woo: Strategic Negotiations Workshop
Sponsored by Ernst & Young LLP

Negotiations are about helping others see things your way – it’s part emotional intelligence, part politics, part rhetoric and part psychology. Professor Richard Shell, an internationally recognized expert in negotiations, persuasion, and strategy, and award-winning teacher at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, will conduct an interactive workshop to strengthen your persuasion skills in every aspect of your dealmaking. Professor Shell is the author of three books including The Art of Woo: Using Strategic Persuasion to Sell Your Ideas. Click here for Professor Shell’s bio.

11:00 AM – 12:10 PM
Fight for the Close: Credit Market Update
Sponsored by Duff & Phelps

Will continued tightening of the credit markets remain a bottleneck to your best deal making efforts into 2009? How can a middle market dealmaker best work with leverage financing to make it from LOI to the final close? Join our moderator Ron Kahn, Managing Director, Lincoln International as he leads our panel of experts to explore the impact the changing credit market will have on deal terms for traditional middle market deals, the ever-growing distressed market space and also growth financings. Our panel will focus on the latest issues and how they are impacting purchase price multiples, loan pricing, timing, leverage, covenants and closing fees in the middle market.

11:00 AM – 12:10 PM
Selling to a SPAC: What You Need to Know Now

As liquidity options narrow and the number of Special Purpose Acquisition Corporations grows, selling your business to a SPAC may be a viable exit strategy. Guided by moderator John Borer, Senior Managing Director of Rodman & Renshaw, you’ll get an insider’s perspective on what drives the decision to sell to a SPAC versus an alternative buyer. Our panel of sellers, investors and advisors will focus on answers to questions including: What unique diligence issues should you consider prior to approaching a SPAC? What experts and advisors should you engage when negotiating a sale, and how can you increase the odds of closing successfully? What pitfalls will you encounter while navigating the process? How will the outcome impact your stakeholders? What are the overall pros and cons?