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.
Westlake Village is an incorporated city located on the western edge of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city, located in the region known as the Conejo Valley, encompasses half of the area surrounding Westlake Lake, and small neighborhoods primarily south of U.S. Route 101 and east of La Venta Drive. The population was 8,368 at the 2000 census. It is also the headquarters of the Dole Food Company. Westlake Village is known for its affluence and secluded character, and is considered one of the wealthiest communities in the Greater Los Angeles Area. Westlake Village is a planned community built around an artificial lake straddling the Los Angeles-Ventura county line; it is a master-planned suburb of lakeside condos and suburban homes. The original community was divided by the Los Angeles and Ventura County boundary and known simply as "Westlake". The area located in Ventura County, or roughly two-thirds of the community, was annexed by the City of Thousand Oaks in two portions, in 1968 and 1972. In 1981, the remaining third eventually incorporated as the City of Westlake Village.