The legal due diligence process can be fraught with difficulties and challenges if not properly managed from the start. Getting on top of the process is essential for a buyer to understand the nature of the asset it seeks to acquire, and whether its investment expectations will be met by the transaction. 

Following the recent launch of Practical Law Commercial Real Estate's new Due diligence topic area, and to further build on Practical Law Corporate Transaction's comprehensive due diligence: acquisitions resources, Practical Law has recently created a video to share our top ten practical tips when carrying out legal due diligence for a buyer of an asset or business: Video, Top ten practical tips for legal due diligence.

In this video, Michelle Tat (Senior writer, Practical Law Commercial Real Estate) and Edwina Oliver (Writer, Practical Law Corporate and Commercial) share their insights and experiences from practice for how to successfully navigate through the due diligence process, including: 

• The importance of understanding the buyer's objectives for the target asset and confirming upfront the required scope (including any materiality thresholds). 
• How to keep organised and appropriately plan your team's time. 
• Team resourcing tips and tricks. 
• Best practice suggestions for presenting the due diligence findings. 

The contents of the video are relevant for a buyer's external lawyers, as well as its in-house counsel.  

The accompanying PowerPoint presentation is available from PowerPoint, Top ten practical tips for legal due diligence. This PowerPoint presentation may also be adapted for use for training purposes within a particular firm or organisation. 

Both of these resources are located in: 

• Practical Law Commercial Real Estate's Due diligence topic. 
• Practical Law Corporate's Due diligence: acquisitions topic. 
• Practical Law's In-house Resource Centre Training the legal team topic.