Before You Invest in a Business, Know What You're Really Investing In.

Legal Due Diligence

Understand the Legal Foundation Before You Invest.

Legal due diligence is essential to determine whether a business operates within the applicable legal framework and whether its existing obligations could affect a proposed investment or transaction.

Our legal experts conduct a systematic examination of the company's legal structure, ownership, agreements, statutory compliance, and potential liabilities.

Our Legal Due Diligence Covers:

• Company incorporation and corporate existence verification
• Memorandum and Articles of Association review
• Shareholding structure and capitalisation table verification
• Founder, promoter, and beneficial ownership assessment
• Corporate governance and board compliance review
• Statutory registrations, licences, and regulatory approvals
• Material customer, vendor, and commercial agreement scrutiny
• Existing loan agreements, guarantees, and security interests
• Litigation, arbitration, and regulatory proceedings review
• Intellectual property ownership and licensing verification
• Employment contracts and applicable labour law compliance
• Related-party transactions and potential conflicts of interest
• Contract termination, indemnity, and liability exposure assessment
• Identification of undisclosed or contingent legal liabilities
• Regulatory and transaction-specific compliance assessment

Financial Due Diligence

Look Beyond Revenue. Understand the Financial Reality.

Financial statements may indicate business performance, but investors also need to understand the quality, sustainability, and reliability of the underlying financial information.

Our financial due diligence services, supported by experienced Chartered Accountants and financial professionals, examine the financial position of the target business and identify issues that may affect investment decisions.

Our Financial Due Diligence Covers:

• Historical financial statement analysis
• Revenue recognition and earnings quality assessment
• Profitability and operating margin evaluation
• Cash flow and working capital analysis
• Assets, liabilities, and debt verification
• Receivables, payables, and outstanding obligations review
• Financial projections and underlying assumptions assessment
• Tax compliance and potential tax exposure analysis
• Related-party financial transactions
• Contingent liabilities and off-balance-sheet obligations
• Capital expenditure and funding requirements
• Financial discrepancies and potential red flags
• Assessment of financial sustainability and liquidity
• Evaluation of financial risks affecting transaction value

Business Valuation Advisory

Is the Business Worth What You're Being Asked to Pay?

A compelling business idea, impressive revenue figures, or ambitious growth projections do not automatically justify a proposed valuation.

Understanding the value of a business is essential for investors negotiating equity participation, acquisitions, mergers, or strategic partnerships.

DLA Venture Check provides business valuation analysis through qualified professionals, using appropriate valuation methodologies based on the company's financial position, business model, industry, and transaction circumstances.

Our Valuation Services Include:

• Startup and early-stage business valuation
• Private company and established business valuation
• Merger and acquisition valuation analysis
• Equity valuation and ownership interest assessment
• Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) analysis, where appropriate
• Comparable company and transaction analysis
• Asset-based valuation, where appropriate
• Evaluation of financial assumptions supporting valuation
• Valuation sensitivity and scenario analysis
• Identification of valuation-related risks
• Transaction pricing and valuation negotiation support

Where a statutory or regulated valuation report is required, it will be undertaken by an appropriately qualified and authorised professional.

Legal Risk Scoring and Investment Risk Intelligence

We Don't Just Identify Risks. We Help You Measure Them.

A lengthy due diligence report is useful only when decision-makers can understand the significance of its findings.

At DLA Venture Check, we translate complex legal observations into structured risk intelligence.

Our Legal Risk Scoring Framework evaluates material legal concerns across relevant areas of the business and transaction.

Key Risk Assessment Parameters:

• Corporate ownership and governance risk
• Regulatory and statutory compliance risk
• Contractual enforceability risk
• Litigation and dispute exposure
• Intellectual property ownership risk
• Employment and operational legal risk
• Tax-related legal exposure
• Investment structure and shareholder rights
• Exit and liquidity-related legal risk
• Transaction documentation and execution risk

We categorise identified risks based on their severity, potential consequences, and available mitigation measures.

Our reports help clients distinguish between:

Investment Negotiation and Transaction Advisory

Identifying Risk Is Important. Negotiating Protection Is Equally Important.

Due diligence may uncover issues that affect the valuation, structure, or terms of a proposed investment.

However, identifying a problem is only the beginning. Investors and businesses must also determine how those concerns should be addressed during negotiations.

DLA Venture Check provides professional legal and commercial negotiation support to help clients protect their interests and achieve appropriately structured transactions.

Our Negotiation and Transaction Advisory Includes:

• Investment term sheet review and negotiation
• Shareholder agreement drafting and vetting
• Share purchase and share subscription agreement advisory
• Valuation and transaction pricing negotiation support
• Representations, warranties, and indemnity provisions
• Conditions precedent and closing requirements
• Founder obligations and investor protection clauses
• Board representation and governance rights
• Anti-dilution and share transfer provisions
• Exit rights and liquidity-related clauses
• Dispute resolution and governing law provisions
• Risk allocation and contractual safeguard recommendations
• Transaction documentation and closing support

Mergers and Acquisitions Due Diligence

Every Acquisition Has a History. Understand It Before You Inherit It.

Acquiring a business involves more than purchasing its assets, operations, or future earning potential.

It may also involve assuming existing liabilities, contractual commitments, regulatory obligations, and unresolved disputes.

DLA Venture Check provides integrated legal and financial due diligence for mergers, acquisitions, business transfers, and corporate restructuring transactions.

Our M&A Advisory Covers:

• Buy-side and sell-side due diligence
• Target company legal and financial assessment
• Share acquisition and asset acquisition risk analysis
• Business valuation and transaction pricing support
• Existing liabilities and contingent exposure review
• Corporate restructuring and regulatory compliance assessment
• Material contract and change-of-control clause review
• Transaction structuring and documentation
• Negotiation of acquisition terms
• Post-acquisition legal integration risk assessment

Startup Investment and Fundraising Advisory

Raising Capital Should Strengthen Your Business, Not Compromise Its Future.

For startups, securing funding is an important milestone. But poorly structured investment agreements, unclear ownership rights, and unfavourable contractual terms can create long-term challenges.

DLA Venture Check supports both investors and investee companies throughout the fundraising process.

Our Startup Advisory Includes:

• Pre-investment legal and financial due diligence
• Investor-readiness assessments
• Founder and equity ownership verification
• Capitalisation table and dilution analysis
• Investment agreement drafting and review
• Founder rights and obligations assessment
• Investor protection and governance provisions
• Intellectual property ownership verification
• Regulatory compliance review
• Fundraising negotiation support
• Exit and future funding risk analysis

Joint Venture and Strategic Partnership Advisory

A Strong Partnership Begins with Clear Responsibilities.

Joint ventures and business partnerships can create significant commercial opportunities, but unclear obligations, ownership rights, management responsibilities, and exit arrangements may result in disputes.

Our team assists businesses in assessing proposed partnerships and developing legally appropriate transaction structures.

Our Services Include:

• Joint venture partner due diligence
• Partnership structure and ownership assessment
• Commercial and legal risk evaluation
• Joint venture agreement drafting and vetting
• Capital contribution and profit-sharing provisions
• Management and decision-making rights
• Deadlock and dispute resolution mechanisms
• Exit and termination arrangements
• Negotiation support

CSR Funding Due Diligence

Good Intentions Deserve Strong Legal Foundations.

Corporate Social Responsibility funding carries legal, financial, and governance responsibilities.

Before committing funds, organisations should understand whether the proposed implementing agency, funding arrangement, and project comply with applicable requirements.

DLA Venture Check helps organisations evaluate CSR funding proposals and identify potential legal and compliance risks.

Our CSR Due Diligence Includes:

• Implementing agency legal entity verification
• CSR eligibility and applicable statutory compliance checks
• CSR registration and documentation verification
• FCRA compliance assessment, where applicable
• Governance and board structure review
• Past legal or regulatory irregularity checks
• Financial documentation and fund utilisation review
• Grant and donation agreement scrutiny
• Project reporting and utilisation obligations assessment
• CSR contractual risk analysis