| name | sellers-counsel-opinion |
| title | Opinion of Seller's Counsel (APA) |
| description | Drafts Opinion of Seller's Counsel letters for APA closings per ABA Legal Opinion Accord standards. Use when drafting closing opinion letters, seller's counsel opinions, third-party legal opinions, or APA closing deliverables in M&A asset purchase transactions. |
| author | CaseMark |
| author_url | https://github.com/CaseMark/skills/tree/main/skills/legal/sellers-counsel-opinion |
| license | Apache-2.0 |
| version | 0.1.0 |
| execution_mode | open |
| jurisdiction | us |
| practice | corporate |
| language | en |
Opinion of Seller's Counsel (APA)
Drafts a closing opinion letter from seller's counsel in an asset purchase transaction, conforming to ABA Legal Opinion Accord standards and current market practice.
Prerequisites
Gather before drafting:
- Executed APA with all exhibits, schedules, and disclosure letters
- Ancillary agreements — TSA, non-competes, escrow, IP assignments, bills of sale
- Seller org docs — articles/certificate of formation, bylaws/operating agreement, amendments
- Authorization records — board/manager resolutions, shareholder/member consents if required
- Good standing certificate — current, from seller's state of organization
- Lien/litigation searches — UCC, judgment, litigation results
- Officer's certificate — factual representations from seller's officers
- Consents — governmental, lender, and third-party consents obtained
- APA opinion section — scope, addressees, and reliance permissions
Quick Start
- Identify the APA opinion-delivery section to determine required scope and addressees
- Extract party names, dates, jurisdictions, and consent requirements from matter documents
- Draft the opinion letter following the structure below
- Apply assumptions, qualifications, and reliance limitations per ABA Accord
Letter Structure
1. Letterhead & Addressee
- Firm name/address, closing date, buyer entity + buyer's counsel (exact legal names from APA)
2. Introduction
- Reference APA by full title, execution date, all parties with legal names and jurisdictions
- State role as seller's counsel; confirm delivery as condition precedent under APA § [specify]
- Define scope boundaries
3. Documents Examined
Organize by category:
- Transaction docs — APA, ancillary agreements
- Org docs — articles/certificate, bylaws/operating agreement, amendments
- Corporate records — resolutions, consents, minutes, ledgers
- Government/third-party — good standing, tax clearances, regulatory approvals, lender consents
- Searches — UCC, litigation, judgment, IP registrations
- Certificates — officer and official certificates (describe with particularity)