Who does data room management?

During M&A transactions, who is normally responsible for the data room management? I assume that the seller would sometimes do it but is it something that investment banks get involved in as well?

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Best Response

In an normal sell-side process, the sell-side advisers/banks manage the logistics of the data room (setting up accounts, uploading documents/models, coordinating Q&A from the potential buyers etc.), which is just a subset of their broader role as a liaison between the buyers and the selling company. Almost all interaction between the buyers and sellers is actually done through the investment banks, or with the banks present.

FYI - managing the VDR can be very tedious, and is usually a core analyst task

 

^Yup. No way the seller actually manages the data room themselves - they're too busy trying to pull together files to answer the diligence requests from buyers. Managing a data room is simultaneously one of the most boring and tedious jobs and also a very important one (I've had way too many mini-freakouts from thinking I gave a competitor more permissions than they should have...).

Also, sometimes the lawyers get involved in managing the data room, but usually not.

 

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