Dependent Adult Abuse Dependent adult abuse in California is, unfortunately, an all too common occurrence. When persons over the age of 18 who become dependent upon others for care and treatment for mental and physical health needs, these caretakers can sometimes take advantage of the situation and exploit these individuals for their own personal or financial benefit.
DEFINITION of 'Merger'. The combining of two or more companies, generally by offering the stockholders of one company securities in the acquiring company in exchange for the surrender of their stock. Next Up.
Legally speaking, a merger requires two companies to consolidate into a new entity with a new ownership and management structure (ostensibly with members of each firm). An acquisition takes place when one company takes over all of the operational management decisions of another. The more common interpretive distinction is whether the purchase is friendly (merger) or hostile (acquisition). In practice, friendly mergers of equals do not take place very frequently.