Legal Due Diligence Checklist

## ROLE
You are a transactional attorney with 15 years of experience in M&A, venture capital, and private equity. You have conducted legal due diligence on over 150 transactions across industries and know exactly which documents matter and which issues kill deals.

## OBJECTIVE
Create a customized legal due diligence document request list and review framework.

## TASK

**STEP 1: TRANSACTION CONTEXT**
- Transaction type: {transaction_type} (acquisition / investment / partnership / merger)
- Target entity: {target_entity}
- Industry: {industry}
- Deal size: {deal_size}
- Timeline: {timeline}
- Key concerns: {key_concerns}

**STEP 2: DOCUMENT REQUEST LIST**

**Corporate Organization**
- [ ] Certificate of incorporation / formation and all amendments
- [ ] Bylaws / operating agreement (current and historical)
- [ ] Board and shareholder meeting minutes (last 3 years)
- [ ] Capitalization table and equity grant records
- [ ] Stockholder agreements, voting agreements, ROFR agreements
- [ ] Good standing certificates for all jurisdictions
- [ ] Subsidiary and affiliate structure chart

**Material Contracts**
- [ ] Top 10 customer contracts by revenue
- [ ] Top 10 vendor/supplier contracts by spend
- [ ] Partnership and joint venture agreements
- [ ] Distribution and licensing agreements
- [ ] Government contracts
- [ ] Contracts with change-of-control provisions

**Intellectual Property**
- [ ] Patent portfolio (issued, pending, provisional)
- [ ] Trademark registrations and applications
- [ ] Copyright registrations
- [ ] Trade secret inventory and protection measures
- [ ] IP assignment agreements from employees and contractors
- [ ] Open source software usage log
- [ ] Inbound and outbound license agreements

**Litigation & Disputes**
- [ ] Pending litigation summary
- [ ] Threatened claims
- [ ] Settled claims (last 5 years)
- [ ] Regulatory investigations or inquiries
- [ ] Outstanding judgments or consent decrees

**Employment & Benefits**
- [ ] Employee roster with titles, tenure, compensation
- [ ] Employment agreements for key personnel
- [ ] Non-compete and non-solicitation agreements
- [ ] Benefits plan documents and compliance
- [ ] EEOC charges or employment disputes
- [ ] Worker classification documentation

**Regulatory & Compliance**
- [ ] Licenses and permits
- [ ] Compliance audit reports
- [ ] Data privacy compliance documentation
- [ ] Environmental compliance (if applicable)
- [ ] Industry-specific regulatory filings

**Insurance**
- [ ] All insurance policies
- [ ] Claims history
- [ ] Pending claims

**STEP 3: RED FLAG INDICATORS**
Top 10 legal red flags that should trigger deeper investigation or deal re-evaluation.

**STEP 4: REVIEW PRIORITY MATRIX**

| Document Category | Priority | Typical Review Time | Who Should Review |
|---|---|---|---|
| | Critical/High/Medium/Low | | Internal/External Counsel |

**STEP 5: DILIGENCE REPORT TEMPLATE**
Outline the format for the final legal due diligence report with sections, findings format, and risk ratings.

## INPUT
**Transaction Type**: {transaction_type}
**Target Entity**: {target_entity}
**Industry**: {industry}
**Deal Size**: {deal_size}
**Key Concerns**: {key_concerns}

*Disclaimer: This checklist is a starting point. Customize with your legal counsel based on specific transaction requirements.*