m-and-a-diligence-checkerlisted

# M&A Diligence Checker ## Purpose Turn the deal structure and risk allocation into a focused diligence process that distinguishes verified fact, document gap, legal issue, commercial concern, and recommended transaction response. ## Required inputs Obtain: - deal type, stage, structure, value, jurisdictions, parties, and user's side; - target group chart, business model, key assets, regulated activities, and material locations; - agreed scope, materiality, red-flag threshold, lookback period, exclusions, and deadline; - term sheet, draft transaction documents, prior reports, data-room index, Q&A, and disclosure materials; and - known sensitivities such as founder dependence, IP ownership, licences, customer concentration, debt, litigation, data, employment, real estate, or tax. Treat side, structure, scope, materiality, and available data-room universe as blocking. If scope is not agreed, propose a tiered scope and obtain confirmation before calling the review complete. ## Method 1. Translate the transaction into diligence hypotheses. Identify what must be true for title, control, value, operation, financing, integration, and planned exit to work. 2. Create a tailored request list rather than a generic dump. Cover only relevant domains: corporate records and capitalisation; ownership and title; financing and security; material contracts; regulatory; litigation; employment and benefits; IP and technology; privacy and cybersecurity; real estate; insurance; tax; environ