"Due diligence" is one of those terms that is often bantered about during an acquisition. For the buyer, the process known as due diligence means finding out as much as possible about the target from a limited amount of available information in a limited amount of time. The buyer generally wants to obtain and analyze accurate information about the target company's assets, strengths and weaknesses as well as its potential for future operations. The purpose of the information is to (1) establish a purchase price the buyer is willing to pay (2) identify risks for purposes of protecting those risks through negotiating appropriate contract provisions (3) prepare for and execute an effective transition to, ultimately (4) realize the maximum value possible. For the seller, the process means anticipating the buyers' questions and organizing and presenting information about the company being sold in an honest and persuasive way to maximize the seller's return.

As a specialist in government contracts, you are likely to be called upon to provide insights into specific areas unique to your specialized knowledge. Though they represent only a part of the due diligence process, they are particularly important because it is not uncommon for the participants to have both broad and in depth knowledge of most issues without knowing much about unique government contracting and accounting considerations. These government contracting-unique issues include:

{TAG_FORM_TITLE}