FernRock Insurance Agency
Case Study
FernRock Risk Partners improves its M&A due diligence by adopting Govern 365
Background
FernRock Risk Partners is a holding company focused on acquiring independent insurance agencies. As part of its acquisition strategy, the legal and business teams manage mergers and acquisitions (M&A) due diligence involving confidential financial, legal, and operational documents.
To support this process, FernRock sought a secure collaboration platform that could streamline due diligence while integrating seamlessly with its existing Microsoft 365 environment.
Challenges
Before Govern 365, FernRock relied on SharePoint links, and another virtual data room solution to exchange sensitive documents.
The company was looking for a solution that could:
- Support collaborative M&A due diligence instead of simple document sharing.
- Allow buyers and sellers to ask questions and request clarifications directly within the due diligence process.
- Provide granular permissions management for confidential acquisition data.
- Integrate seamlessly with existing Microsoft 365, SharePoint, and Microsoft Teams environments.
- Archive completed due diligence rooms for long-term access after transactions close.
- Offer a platform better suited for M&A than traditional audit-focused virtual data rooms.
Solution
FernRock selected Govern 365 because it combines enterprise-grade security with the familiarity of Microsoft SharePoint.
Using Govern 365, the organization can:
- Create secure virtual data rooms for each acquisition in their own M365 tenant without worrying about storage since it is only limited by the SharePoint volume that one has.
- Collaborate with sellers and advisors throughout the due diligence process.
- Manage permissions with fine-grained access controls.
- Integrate directly with SharePoint and Microsoft Teams.
- Archive completed due diligence rooms while preserving important acquisition documentation.
- Accommodate unlimited number of users
Leverage a platform already familiar to Microsoft 365 users, reducing adoption barriers.
Benefits
Govern 365 has helped FernRock modernize its M&A due diligence process by providing a secure and collaborative environment built on M365 tenant the team already has.
Key benefits include:
- Secure due diligence with confidence in Microsoft's SharePoint security foundation.
- Familiar user experience that integrates naturally with existing Microsoft 365 applications.
- Improved collaboration between acquisition teams and sellers through secure document sharing and discussions.
- Centralized document management for current and completed acquisitions.
- Flexible permissions management to control access throughout each transaction.
- Long-term document retention by archiving completed due diligence rooms after deals close.
