Guidance for Writing a Buy-Sell Agreement

About the Episode

Properly written buy-sell agreements are essential to the smooth transaction of any deal involving mergers and acquisitions. So why are most written so poorly, if at all? If the agreement in any way favors one party over the other, is based on an unreliable calculation method, or excludes any pertinent information, the seller can find themselves in court. So how do you avoid litigation? What steps should you take to ensure that your buy-sell agreement is as iron-clad as possible? Those are just some of the questions we ask Michael Blake, CFA and director of Valuation Services at Habif, Arogeti & Wynne LLP in Atlanta, on this edition of “Deal Talk.”

Meet Our Guest

Michael S. Blake

Michael S. Blake

Director of Valuation Services at Habif, Arogeti & Wynne, LLP

Michael Blake is the Director of Valuation Services at Habif, Arogeti & Wynne, LLP. He has fifteen years of valuation experience, with particular expertise in mergers & acquisitions, dispute resolution, intellectual property matters, and exotic securities and derivatives valuation.

Michael’s professional background is transaction-focused, with long tenures in the venture capital and investment banking industries. Michael has considerable experience working with companies in the U.S. and abroad, most notably Russia, Israel, Belarus, and Ukraine.

Michael has performed and managed hundreds of valuations for transactions and audit and tax compliance and served as an expert witness in intellectual property, securities, and other financial matters. Michael has expertise working with professional services, financial institutions, alternative energy, aerospace, information technology, biotechnology, restaurants, paper and timber, and real estate management companies.

Michael received his Bachelor’s Degree, Cum Laude, in Economics and French from Franklin & Marshall College and his Master of Business Administration Degree from Georgetown University. Michael is the co-founder and president of StartupLounge.com, a not-for-profit organization that supports the venture community in Georgia. He was a Nominee Finalist for the 2009 Turknett Foundation Leadership Character Award and a Nominee Finalist for the 2009 TechAmerica Spirit of Endeavor Award. Michael was named to the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 2009 Up and Comers List for the top 40 executives under the age of 40. Michael’s professional and academic affiliations include:

  • Chartered Financial Analyst Institute
  • Atlanta CPA Society
  • American Finance Association
  • Phi Beta Kappa
  • American Society of Appraisers
  • Institute of Business Appraisers
  • Georgia Tech/Emory TIGER Advisory Board
  • Ukrainian-American Chamber of Commerce

AUTHORED ARTICLES

  • 2015 – Writing a Buy-Sell Agreement that Keeps You Away from Court
  • 2015 – How to Value Your Restaurant Business
  • 2014 – Executive Decisions: Apple Sings, “We Got the Beats” – What Did $3 Billion Buy
  • 2014 – Executive Decisions: Dan Snyder’s Fight for the Redskins Name – Doomed Idealism or Financial Pragmatism?
  • 2014 – Executive Decisions: This is…Fox? Time Warner Rejects $80 Billion Offer
  • 2014 – Executive Decisions: Is $2B the “Right” Number?
  • 2014 – The IRS Audit Risk Profile of Section 409A is Changing This Year. Is Your Company Prepared?
  • 2013 – Ten Questions to Ask When Selling a Business
  • 2013 – The Impact of Value on M&A Activity

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