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Guest Introduction
Nida Rizvi is an M&A attorney at Burr Forman in Atlanta. She has practiced for over fifteen years, starting her career in New York and London, and now focuses primarily on middle-market transactions. Her work spans both buy-side and sell-side matters, with experience advising on founder- and family-owned businesses.
Summary
In this episode, John Marsh sits down with Nida Rizvi to explore the legal, financial, and emotional realities of getting a deal done. Nida explains how quickly sellers can become emotional once an LOI is signed and diligence begins, and why her role often involves managing expectations as much as handling the legal work.
The conversation covers what attorneys can and cannot fix once a deal is underway, why sell-side quality of earnings reports are showing up more often, and how early preparation can make the process smoother. Nida also shares what makes a seller easy or difficult to work with, why trust between advisors and clients matters, and how the right team can help sellers stay organized and keep fees down.
They also discuss the importance of getting financials, corporate documents, and material contracts in order early, why involving an M&A attorney before the LOI stage can save money, and how buyer behavior can create friction when a deal starts to get real. The episode closes with a story about a deal that fell apart the night before closing over a dispute involving a $120,000 insurance premium.
You’ll Learn
- Why deals often become emotional for sellers once the LOI is signed.
- What legal issues attorneys cannot fix once a deal reaches diligence.
- Why sell-side quality of earnings reports are showing up more often.
- The importance of cleaning up financials, organizing corporate documents and contracts, and building a growth story.
- Why involving an M&A attorney before the LOI stage can save money.
- What separates an easy client from a difficult one during diligence.
- Which buyer behaviors create friction in a deal, including aggressive retrading after the LOI.
- The story behind the deal that fell apart the night before closing over an insurance premium dispute.
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