Insights
Deals Are Still Getting Done, But Execution Has Become the Hardest Part
The European PE market is active. But anyone who has been involved in a transaction over the past 18 months knows that the environment for getting deals across the line has changed significantly.
Timelines are longer. Structures are more layered. Diligence scope has expanded well beyond what was standard in earlier cycles. Financing conditions require more careful planning. And the margin for operational slippage during execution, never wide, has narrowed further.
In this environment, the difference between a deal that closes and one that stalls often comes down to how well the operational infrastructure around the transaction is prepared.
On the German side, that means having entity structures that are in place before the deal timeline requires them. It means managing directors who are appointed and understand their obligations from day one. It means corporate documentation that withstands a rigorous due diligence process. And it means avoiding administrative issues at the very moment when financing pressure is highest and negotiations are most intense.
We see this pattern time and again. The legal and financial work on a transaction is handled with precision. Then the question arises to who will actually manage the newly acquired German entity, who will act as managing director, or whether the shelf company will be ready in time for closing.
These are not afterthoughts. In the current environment, they are part of the deal.
Greenfields supports private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies throughout the transaction and beyond. From entity formation and shelf company deployment to managing directors, corporate housekeeping, and ongoing compliance, we take the operational layer off the table – so the deal team can focus on execution.
