The representations and warranties put forth by a seller are critical components of business mergers and acquisitions (M&A). In a traditional M&A transaction, the seller agrees to indemnify the buyer for a set period of time against breaches of their representations and warranties. The indemnity is often backed by an escrowed portion of the proceeds otherwise payable at closing. This usually amounts to around 10% to 15% of the proceeds for 1 – 2 years. However, the emerging use of representations and warranties insurance is changing or eliminating this traditional structure for many M&A deals (source 1).