Due Diligence Report

Deliver a structured legal risk report that supports deal decisions and negotiation strategy.

Prerequisites

Transaction overview — structure, parties, valuation, timeline, governing law, closing conditions.
Data room index — document list with dates, versions, and confidentiality labels.
Diligence scope — materiality thresholds (revenue %, dollar threshold, key customers).
Deal sensitivities — regulatory approvals, IP dependencies, key contracts, employee retention.
Prior work product — existing diligence memos or red-flag lists, if any.

Output Structure / Process

1) Report Sections

Executive summary — top 5–10 risks, required approvals, open items.
Risk rating framework.
Findings matrix (issue-level table).
Area analyses: Corporate/Cap Table, Material Contracts, Litigation/Claims, Regulatory/Compliance, IP/Technology, Employment/Benefits, Real Estate/Leases, Taxes, Data Privacy/Cybersecurity, Environmental, Insurance, Other as applicable.
Open items and follow-up requests.
Deal protections and drafting recommendations.

2) Risk Ratings

| Rating | Definition | Deal Impact | |---|---|---| | Critical | Likely deal-breaker or closing condition | Resolve pre-close or terminate | | Significant | Material value/operations impact | Address with price, reps, indemnity, escrow | | Moderate | Manageable risk | Address with covenants or post-close plan | | Minor | Low impact | Note for awareness |

3) Findings Matrix Template

| Area | Issue | Source (Doc/§/Date) | Risk | Exposure/Impact | Recommendation | Proposed Deal Protection | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

4) Area Checklist

| Area | Required Checks | |---|---| | Corporate/Cap Table | Formation docs; charter/bylaws; equity issuances; options/RSUs; board/stockholder approvals; subsidiaries; liens | | Material Contracts | Change-of-control; assignment; exclusivity; MFN; termination; renewals; pricing; SLAs; non-compete; key customer/supplier concentration | | Litigation/Claims | Pending/threatened claims; settlements; subpoenas; arbitration; investigations | | Regulatory/Compliance | Licenses/permits; sanctions/export; antitrust/HSR; CFIUS; industry regulators; SEC/FINRA if applicable | | IP/Technology | Chain of title; employee/contractor assignment; OSS compliance; licenses in/out; infringement claims; domains | | Employment/Benefits | Key employee agreements; non-solicit; wage/hour claims; benefits plans; 401(k); union matters | | Taxes | Returns; audits; NOLs; sales/use tax; transfer pricing; tax sharing agreements | | Privacy/Cybersecurity | Privacy policies; DPAs; breach history; security audits; data localization; HIPAA/GLBA/FERPA if applicable | | Real Estate | Leases; environmental reports; zoning; landlord consent | | Environmental | Permits; contamination; remediation obligations; indemnities | | Insurance | Coverage types; exclusions; claims history; tail coverage |

5) Executive Summary Template

Executive Summary
- Critical risks: [Issue | Impact | Required action]
- Significant risks: [Issue | Impact | Proposed deal protection]
- Required approvals: [HSR/CFIUS/Industry/Other]
- Open items: [Missing docs or confirmations]

6) Deal Protections Mapping

| Risk Type | Drafting Lever | |---|---| | Known liability | Specific indemnity; escrow; special rep | | Compliance gap | Pre-close covenant; condition to close | | Contract consent | Closing condition; bring-down | | IP ownership gap | Assignment; rep; escrow holdback | | Litigation exposure | Litigation rep; cap; survival term |

7) Citation Format

Quote only material clauses; cite as DocName §X (Date).
Flag missing or inconsistent documents in the open items section.

Guidelines

Maintain neutral, risk-focused tone; avoid advocacy.
Tie each issue to evidence and transaction impact.
Use [VERIFY] for any legal citation or regulatory threshold not confirmed.
Assume U.S. transaction unless specified; call out non-U.S. jurisdictions explicitly.
Separate factual findings from recommendations.
Do not invent documents or confirm approvals without evidence.