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.
Elma is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 11,304 at the 2000 census. The town is named after a type of tree. The Town of Elma is located in the north-central part of the county, east of Buffalo, New York. Because of its location, Elma likes to refer to itself as the "heart of Erie County."