Buy-side M&A advisory: acquire with clarity, confidence, and control

Strategic acquisitions done right

Acquiring a company isn't just a financial transaction; it's a strategic decision that shapes your future. Done well, it accelerates growth, strengthens capabilities, and creates real value. Done poorly, it drains time, capital, and focus.

At dups, we help you acquire with clarity and control. Our buy-side M&A advisory integrates legal, financial, and strategic expertise to manage your acquisition from first target screening to post-closing integration. We ensure every step (analysis, negotiation, documentation, and closing) aligns with your business objectives and risk appetite.

Why buy-side M&A requires expert guidance

Every acquisition is complex, not just because of numbers, but because of the unknowns. You're dealing with valuation uncertainty, hidden liabilities, complex contracts, and negotiations where the seller knows more than you do.

Most companies try to manage with separate advisors: financial consultants, lawyers, and accountants working in silos. That's where deals slow down or break apart.

At dups, we bring it all together: one integrated team, one process, one objective (acquire with precision). We combine financial analysis, legal diligence, and negotiation strategy to give you a 360° view of every deal.

Our buy-side M&A approach

1. Strategic planning and target definition

We start by understanding your acquisition strategy: what you're trying to achieve (new capabilities, geographic expansion, technology, or talent). From there, we define acquisition criteria (sector, size, geography, synergies) and build a pipeline of potential targets.

We help you evaluate strategic fit and prioritize targets that create long-term value, not short-term noise.

2. Target evaluation and due diligence

Once a target is identified, our financial team assesses its fundamentals: revenue quality, cash flow stability, customer concentration, and growth assumptions. In parallel, our legal team reviews contracts, IP, compliance, and employment risks.

We integrate these analyses into one clear diligence report that connects risk, valuation, and negotiation strategy. You see the full picture: what's solid, what's uncertain, and what needs to be fixed before signing.

3. Valuation and deal structuring

We model multiple valuation scenarios, factoring in synergies, performance assumptions, and financing. Our goal isn't just to find a price; it's to define a structure that works: cash, earnout, seller note, or equity mix. We build a model that sets you up for success with the banks that will support you with your leverage buy-out.

We explain what each structure means for control, risk, and returns. That clarity helps you negotiate terms that protect your upside without overexposing your capital.

4. Negotiation and documentation

Negotiating an acquisition is an art: balancing assertiveness with relationship management. We lead discussions with the seller, translating diligence findings into tangible terms. Simultaneously, our legal team drafts or reviews the Share Purchase Agreement (SPA), Representations and Warranties, and Escrow Arrangements.

You get one coordinated negotiation, not parallel conversations between advisors.

5. Closing and integration

When the deal is ready, we coordinate all final steps: signature flow, funds transfer, completion accounts, and closing conditions. We also support integration planning by aligning teams, processes, and governance to make sure the value you buy becomes value you realize.

Because in M&A, the deal doesn't end at closing; it starts there.

What makes dups different

Most advisors focus on either financial or legal aspects. We do both. That means your valuation drives your deal terms, and your contracts reflect your financial logic, not two disconnected tracks.

We've been on both sides of the table, advising buyers, sellers, and investors. We know how to spot friction points early and design solutions before they turn into problems.

Our approach is pragmatic, deal-driven, and always aligned with your strategic goals. We don't complicate deals; we make them happen, cleanly and confidently.

Deliverables you can expect

We manage the full acquisition process, including:

• Target identification and evaluation
• Financial and legal due diligence
• Valuation and deal structuring models
• Term sheet negotiation and SPA drafting
• Closing coordination and documentation
• Post-acquisition integration planning

Each deliverable is consolidated into a single, actionable advisory flow: financial, legal, and operationally coherent.