2017 Corporate Reports

WilmerHale's annual IPO, Venture Capital and M&A Reports offer insights into market conditions and provide comprehensive statistics and analysis that are hard to find elsewhere.

Our 2017 IPO Report offers a detailed IPO market review and outlook, plus useful market metrics and articles on topics of interest, including:

• Rates of adoption of JOBS Act relief by emerging growth companies
• The potential impact of the new presidential administration on policy and direction at the US Securities and Exchange Commission
• Changes in the IPO process over the past two decades
• The growing divide between the governance practices of IPO companies and established public companies
• The profusion of recommended corporate governance best practices public companies are under pressure to adopt in the current environment
• Multi-class capital structures
• Tips for living with the IPO "quiet period"
• New Securities Act exemptions that have expanded the pre-IPO financing toolkit
• Post-IPO financing alternatives
• The challenges and benefits of pursuing a dual track to liquidity

The 2017 Venture Capital Report offers an in-depth US venture capital market review and outlook, including industry and regional breakdowns, as well as a look at the following issues:

• Steps startups should take now if they plan to secure a Series A round in 2017
• Common structures for management carve-out plans
• Best practices for private companies setting option exercise prices
• The benefits of investing in qualified small business stock
• Trends in venture capital financing terms, convertible debt terms and VC-backed company M&A deal terms

Our 2017 M&A Report provides a detailed global M&A market review and outlook, as well as insights on the following topics:

• Takeover defenses for public companies
• Key lessons for buyers and sellers considering earnouts
• Recent developments in merger control regulation
• Common interest privilege protection among deal parties
• Special considerations in California M&A deals
• Acquisition financial statement requirements for IPO companies
• A comparison of deal terms in public and private acquisitions
• Key terms and issues in sales of VC-backed companies

Each report also includes a center spread showcasing prominent recent transactions in each area and company counsel rankings from independent sources showing WilmerHale's preeminence as counsel in IPOs, VC financings and sales of VC-backed companies.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.