Mergers, Acquisitions, and Private Equity

Catalog description

This course introduces executive students to the theory and practice of mergers, acquisitions, and private equity. It develops the theoretical and practical tools essential for corporate managers, investment bankers, and private equity investors in the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) markets. It also provides an overview of the M&A process, including objectives, major players, regulatory/legal framework, and financial and growth strategies of corporations aimed at creating value. These M&A strategies include corporate/deal valuation, takeover tactics and strategy, takeover defenses, post-merger integration and restructuring, acquisition of intellectual property and their valuation, private equity investments via company buyouts (leveraged buyouts or management buyouts -- LBOs/MBOs), private equity acquisitions in emerging economies -- and reverse LBOs. This course not only familiarizes students with the economic environment, opportunities and challenges of M&A but will also enables them to see the multiple perspectives of several players involved in these transactions. A variety of case situations are exploredwhere deal valuations (including synergies, strategic decision making, and deal structuring) are practiced. The cases challenge students to use various analytical tools in corporate finance to analyze M&A transactions and create value for shareholders.