If you are buying a company how can you be sure you are buying the business you think you are? Are you sure it is as good as the seller says? How can you be certain unexpected costs and obligations will not suddenly appear once you are the owner and responsible for them? How best can you arm yourself for the negotiations? Designed to help you make your due diligence process as smooth and effective as possible, this collection of checklists by acknowledged expert, Peter Howson, will ensure you manage the risk aspects of any acquisition. The author takes you through the due diligence process itself from legal, financial and commercial to employment and IT, and guides you through the collection. Each checklist includes a short introduction that enables you to make the best use of the material. Due Diligence is, by its nature, a process for which checklists are a wonderful source of ideas and reassurance. Peter Howson's checklists (all of which are repeated in PDF form on a CD included with the book), is a must-have reference for anyone contemplating a merger or acquisition, a management buyout, joint venture or other risky business transactions involving third parties