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.
Bear is a census-designated place (CDP) in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. The population was 17,593 at the 2000 census. Originally a small crossroads in a rural area south of Wilmington, the area supported small farms growing mainly corn and cattle. In the late 1980s and 1990s Bear became a popular location for the construction of sprawling housing developments and shopping center along US Route 40. Bear is not an incorporated municipality or strictly delineated area in the county, but instead a general reference to the collection of communities in the US ZIP codes 19701-19702. According to common legend, the name "Bear" originated from a tavern located along the roadway from Wilmington to Dover, Delaware (at the intersection now formed by US 40 and State Route 7), whose sign was decorated with the image of a large bear.