Elizabeth Gibbes and Miguel Manna wrote an article in Law360 about immigration compliance during mergers and acquisitions.

“Immigration compliance is sometimes overlooked during the due diligence phase of mergers and acquisitions,” they wrote. “This oversight can result in serious work disruptions, astronomical fines, government investigations and even criminal liability.”

“Fortunately, there are cost- and time-effective steps that will prevent problems down the road, reduce the burden on incoming employees and free the human resources team to focus on other aspects of a successful integration,” they continued. “These steps include an audit of employee Forms I-9 regarding employment eligibility verification and a census of the foreign national workforce.”

“Employees and legal staff for companies going through mergers or acquisitions have a lot on their plates, but an immediate review of immigration issues can pay off by avoiding costly compliance issues, eliminating impediments to employee retention and other stumbling blocks that can sink an otherwise viable deal,” they wrote.

Click here to read the full article: Employee Immigration Considerations for M&A Due Diligence

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