Industry Expertise, Information Leakage, and the Choice of M&A Advisors
Accepted by Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, 2016
50 Pages Posted: 20 Aug 2011 Last revised: 3 Mar 2023
Date Written: September 22, 2015
Abstract
This paper examines the impacts of M&A advisors’ industry expertise on firms’ choice of advisors in mergers and acquisitions. We show that an investment bank's expertise in merger parties’ industries increases its likelihood of being chosen as an advisor, especially when the acquisition is more complex, and when a firm in M&A has less information about the merger counterparty. However, due to the concerns about information leakage to industry rivals through M&A advisors, acquirers are reluctant to share advisors with rival firms in the same industry, and they are more likely to switch to new advisors if their former advisors have advisory relationship with their industry rivals. In addition, we document that advisors with more industry expertise earn higher advisory fees and increase the likelihood of deal completion.
Keywords: Investment banking; Mergers and Acquisitions; Advisory Fees; Advisory Services; Industry Expertise
JEL Classification: G24, G34, L11
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
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