Do you want to position your small law firm to be a merger or acquisition target? Even if you don’t, wouldn’t it be nice if suitors came calling, because they viewed your firm as a potential catalyst to help grow their own? That’s the position I found myself in a few months ago—with no intention of merging my small firm into another one. But then a great offer from an outstanding firm unexpectedly came my way, and here I am, excited and energized, with a new logo on my business card.

I want to share a few important lessons from my experience in order to help you position your small firm for a successful deal in an active merger market. Whether you’re interested in pursuing an opportunity or not, taking the steps required to position your firm as an attractive target will help ensure its success.