In the law of corporations, a merger is effected when one or more corporations becomes a part of, or merges, with another corporation so that one ceases to exist and the other continues to exist. In a merger, the company that continues to exist retains its name and identity and acquires the assets, liabilities, franchises, and powers of the corporation that ceases to exist. Attorneys who practice in mergers and acquisitions (sometimes called M & A) represent corporations and other business entities in strategizing, negotiating, and carrying out transactions in which two or more companies or corporations combine into a single new entity, a merger, or where one business purchases and absorbs the assets of another, an acquisition.
Paynes Creek is an unincorporated town in Tehama County, California, 23 miles (37 km) east of Red Bluff with a population of about 450. Its ZIP code is 96075 and telephone prefixes follow, which is shared with the town of Dales, California, about 9 miles (14 km) to the west. The town is named for the eponymous watercourse Payne's Creek.