The threat of sexual misconduct allegations plays an increasingly prominent role in merger and acquisition deals today. Knowing how to protect against this risk could mean the difference between a smooth M&A transaction and one that quickly turns into a reputational nightmare for the buyer.

Jaclyn Jaeger is a freelance contributor to Compliance Week after working for the company for 15 years. She writes on a wide variety of topics, including ethics and compliance, risk management, legal,...