Due diligence in a broad sense refers to the level of judgement, care, prudence, determination, and activity that a person would reasonably be expected to do under particular circumstances. In corporate law, due diligence is the process of conducting an intensive investigation of a corporation as one of the first steps in a pending merger or acquisition. In a company acquisition, due diligence would include fully understanding all of the obligations of the company: debts, pending and potential lawsuits, leases, warranties, long-term customer agreements, employment contracts, distribution agreements, compensation arrangements, and so forth.
