Primary reader: junior buyer-side transactional associate. Recipient: supervising M&A lawyer, not the seller, customer or public. You need to read short records and distinguish a statement, inference and unanswered question. Ordinary word-processing and spreadsheet tools are sufficient; no paid diligence platform is required.
Your assignment
Use only R01–R08 for the baseline. Read the buyer instructions first, then compare the document extracts, management assertions and room index. Prepare three developed findings and one inquiry, an executive summary and source-linked register.
The fictional buyer initially prioritises Cedar continuity and rights for both CoreRoute components. Do not import tax, employment, regulatory, financial or technical conclusions into the eight-record exercise. The absence of a country label is not a claim that applicable law is irrelevant.
Working materials
Use the blank report, blank register and field guide. The complete practice pack contains the fictional source files. The worked report is one defensible model, not the only acceptable wording.
Handover boundary
Preserve the 5 September cut-off and unresolved matters. Propose priorities and actions; do not claim counsel has approved them. No client contact, consent request, notice or document release is authorised. Check the final checklist, then give the draft to the reviewer.
Use the new-evidence task only after completing a baseline attempt. Facilitators should issue the separate baseline test pack so later records and expected answers do not contaminate observation.