Knowledge Lunch with Eversheds Sutherland: Contract Trends and Reflections in a Turbulent World

In May, we at Livingstone Partners Stockholm were pleased to welcome the legal team from Eversheds Sutherland—Anna Thoms, Jens André, and Victor Frejdig—for one of our recurring Knowledge Lunches. This session focused on how current market conditions influence the terms and structure of various transaction agreements.

During the lunch, Eversheds Sutherland shared insights from their report M&A Market Monitor – Sweden 2024, highlighting current trends in transaction agreements from both legal and commercial perspectives. The discussion covered, among other things, purchase price mechanisms, earn-outs and reinvestments, as well as the allocation of responsibilities through warranties and specific commitments. It was also noted that the use of W&I insurance is on the rise, and that market uncertainty has led to more complex deal structures – including conditional closings and extended warranty periodsThrough concrete examples and data, we gained a deeper understanding of how business law is adapting in practice to today’s market environment.

In-Depth Discussion and Experience Sharing

Using real-world examples and recent experiences, the Eversheds team also facilitated a dialogue around how the structure and content of transaction agreements reflect the dynamics of a deal. The focus was on identifying how legal logic interacts with commercial realities, and how structural decisions in agreements affect risk allocation, negotiation flexibility, and deal progression. The session also offered insights into developments in clause drafting and the growing demand for clear responsibility allocation between parties.

A Valued Part of Our Workday

We are very grateful to Anna, Jens, and Victor for taking the time to share their expertise. By shedding new light on familiar topics, they helped deepen our understanding and strengthen our collaborative efforts—both internally and in our client work.

“We see great value not only in refining our own advisory role but also in understanding how other parties think and act in a transaction. Listening to experienced lawyers who work closely with both buyers and sellers helps us calibrate our approach to meet the real needs of the market,” said — Daniel Ohlsson, Managing Partner.

Knowledge Lunches are a recurring feature at Livingstone, and we place great importance on staying continuously updated on all aspects of the transaction process. This enables us to position ourselves as a relevant and insightful advisor.