Before a private-equity buyer closed on a global logistics target, Law & Forensics' cyber and privacy due diligence surfaced latent exposure that reshaped the deal terms — converting hidden risk into a negotiated, priced, and remediated outcome.
The situation
A private-equity sponsor had a logistics and freight-forwarding target in its sights: an asset-rich, globally distributed operator that moved goods — and, with them, large volumes of personal and customer data — across dozens of jurisdictions. The strategic case was strong, but the data room was thin where it mattered most. There was little credible assurance about the target's cybersecurity posture, no clean account of its breach history, and only vague representations about privacy compliance across the many regimes it touched.
For the sponsor, that uncertainty was itself a risk. It engaged Law & Forensics to convert the unknowns into a defensible, deal-relevant assessment before capital was committed.
Our approach
Law & Forensics ran cyber and privacy diligence as integrated, parallel workstreams against the deal clock:
External attack-surface assessment. The team mapped the target's internet-facing footprint, identifying exposed systems, weak external controls, and indicators that warranted deeper scrutiny — all without touching the target's internal environment.
Breach-history and compromise review. Law & Forensics examined available evidence for signs of prior or ongoing compromise and undisclosed incidents, testing the reliability of the seller's security representations.
Cross-border privacy evaluation. The team assessed how personal data moved through the business and benchmarked the target's practices against the privacy regimes governing each major jurisdiction, isolating the gaps most likely to generate post-close liability.
Deal translation and remediation planning. Findings were framed in terms counsel could act on — exposure that could be negotiated, priced, or covered by representations and warranties — and paired with a prioritized, post-close remediation roadmap.
The impact
The diligence surfaced material exposure the seller had not disclosed. Rather than walk away or overpay for hidden risk, the buyer used the findings to renegotiate terms and strengthen its contractual protections, and closed the transaction holding a funded, prioritized remediation plan. The cyber and privacy picture became a lever at the negotiating table instead of a surprise after closing.
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Jurisdictions assessed for privacy compliance | Dozens |
| Previously undisclosed exposure identified | Material findings |
| Impact on deal terms | Renegotiated protections |
| Post-close deliverable | Funded remediation roadmap |
