Field notes
What happens to your RSUs and stock options when your company is acquired
Converted, cashed out, accelerated or canceled. How to find out which one applies to you, what it means for your taxes, and what to do before the deal closes.
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Field notes on what to do next, Deal Files on recent acquisitions, and straight answers to reader questions. Written by someone who has sat in every seat.
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What happens to employees when a company is acquired
Stage by stage, from the rumor to the new normal. What changes, when layoffs actually come, and what happens to your pay, equity, benefits and job.
Sep 25, 2026 · 12 min readRead the note →
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Change of control clause: what it means for employees, with examples
The clause in your offer letter or equity grant that decides what happens to your stock, bonus and severance when the company is sold. Single trigger, double trigger and good reason, in plain English.
Field notes
Retention bonus: what it is, what it means, and how to negotiate one
A retention bonus is the clearest signal you’ll get during an acquisition. Here is what it tells you, what the fine print hides, and how to ask for more.
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Every Deal File reads a recent acquisition from three seats: the people who got bought, the people who did the buying, and the people thinking about joining. If you're inside one, tell us about it. We never name sources.
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