You forgot a classic - instantly decide to migrate all systems.  Two CRM systems - no problem company A will switch next month.   Multiple finance systems - again no problem, company B was probably dying to get rid of their system which they just finished implementing.  System mergers are easy - attack them right away, don't waste time on planning!

Getting the timeline of any business venture right is imperative, however this is especially the case when a merger's taking place. Draging it out not only exhausts precious resources, it also gyrates on the nerves of the employees who want to get it over with and have everyting move in a routinely manner again.  Plus it doesn't really do anything positive for the PR value of the companies involved.

Another issue I've seen is the whole area of intellectual property post-M&A, where upper-level execs leave (by choice or not), having signed some kind of non-compete, but end up at another company and have some similar or cross-over responsibilities. The prior company then sues the exec for IP or non-compete breach. What can organizations and employees do to protect themselves in these cases? Obviously, as an ex-employee, you don't want to tie yourself up in a lawsuit but you also need/want to make a good living, which means using all the skills and contacts you've built up over the years. 

Now that's a good item to add to an already sarcastically-good and comprehensive list. Definitely the top 11 things people should make sure they don't do for their next mergers.

Scott - I love this. Since employes are the major assets of most companies, the competitor was able to effectively steal the acquisition right out from under the company that did it. 

These days, employees, rather than factories and other capital assets, are the major assets of most companies. Alienating employees is  a sure way to turn an acquisition into a paper victory at best. 

I've been noticing a proliferation of social and mobile companies lately..ones that I would think would be gobbled up normally or not even be taken public.

I actually am glad if this happens (no merger) since I like to buy stocks in the sub-$10 range but half the time it seems like some Elephant comes into the room and kicks down the price and then buys it up before any small investor gets a chance to realize success (or failure, but that's part of the game).

While Google hasn't bought anyone significantly lately, there have been a number of M&As of note, like VMware and Nicira, or a number of Cisco and IBM acquisitions over the summer and fall. And let's not forget Instagram and Yammer -- billion dollar deals. So while we haven't seen the go-go days of the dot-com boom, there is a lot happening.

Are there in fact more mergers happening though?

Now that you bring it up, the level of activity I read about doesn't seem anywhere near the peaks.

When is the last time Google bought a significant web company for example?

To paraphrase the great CBS New York newsman Don Hollenbeck, I wish to associate myself with everything my friend and colleague David Strom just said.

Let's see, my favorite merger blunder?  It goes back a little ways, and involves a very large company that purchased an extremely popular producer, then subsequently gutted its staff... at the same time a rival producer was starting up.  So, Way to Screw Up Your Merger #11: Lay off most or all of your acquired employees while your competitor (who, incidentally, was accruing funds to make the very same acquisition you made) has the resources, desire, and cash to hire them all and squeeze the lifeblood out of your new endeavor.

Moral of the story:  Never acquire anything you're not ready and willing to own.

SF "M&A" 3