For M&A advisers, business brokers and estate attorneys: the archive in the deal
Short answer
In a sale, succession or estate, the company's archive usually goes along unpriced. A non-exclusive licence of copies can earn the owner or the estate something separately, without changing what's sold, as long as it's disclosed and fits the deal terms. I pay no referral fees and work alongside the deal team, not around it.
Where the archive sits in a deal
In an asset or share sale, the company's records normally go with the business. In a family succession they stay in it. In an estate, they're often boxed up or destroyed once the business is wound down. In none of these cases does anyone put a price on fifteen years of quotes, project files and dispatch logs.
What's changed
AI developers now license copies of exactly this kind of working archive from owner-led firms. A non-exclusive licence doesn't take the records away from the business, so it can sit alongside a sale rather than inside it.
Doing it cleanly
- Disclose it. Any licence granted before closing belongs in the disclosures.
- Keep it non-exclusive unless the parties agree otherwise, so the buyer can use the records freely.
- Time it. After closing, the records usually belong to the buyer; for an estate, it has to fit the administration.
- Check rights first. Client confidentiality, customer contracts and personal data limit what can be included. See Is it legal to license my business records for AI training?
How I work with advisers
I tell the owner, free, whether buyers look for what they have, and introduce a buyer or broker only if they want that. The deal team stays in charge. I pay no referral fees. Email me at chris@blueprintworth.com.
Quick questions
Will a licence complicate the sale?
It shouldn't, if it's handled openly. A non-exclusive licence of copies leaves the records with the business. It should be disclosed to the buyer and agreed with the deal team, and it can be timed around the transaction.
Can an estate license a deceased owner's company records?
Possibly, if the estate holds the rights to the records. The estate's attorney decides whether and when it fits the administration.
Do you pay referral fees?
No. Owners pay no fees either; only the buyer or broker pays a finder's fee, if a deal closes.
Want an honest read on your own records?
Describe what you have in a few lines. I'll tell you whether buyers look for it. No files needed.
Ask for a free fit check You pay nothing · I never touch your files · Nothing happens without your written OK