The Boardroom · 5-Minute Read
Warranty Claims: The First 30 Days
Michael OseiPartner, Corporate DisputesAugust 2025
A warranty claim following an acquisition moves fast in its first month, whichever side of the claim you're on. What a board needs to know in that window.
If you're the buyerNotify within the contractual time limit — these are usually strictly enforced — and instruct forensic accounting support immediately. The strength of a warranty claim is usually set by the quality of the completion accounts analysis, not the pleading.
If you're the sellerResist the urge to dismiss the claim outright before your own accountants have reviewed the underlying figures. A defensible position built on genuine analysis holds up far better in negotiation than an initial denial that later has to be walked back.
In our experience, the claims that resolve fastest and most favourably are the ones where both sides commission credible forensic accounting early, rather than treating the dispute as a purely legal argument until the numbers force a reckoning later.