The book uses essays from top professionals in the field to define the different types of PIPEs; measure the history of PIPEs; describe the perspectives of issuers, lawyers, bankers, accountants and investors; outline the legal issues involved; show examples through term sheets, case histories and due diligence examples; and describe probable future develops in the field. If the book has a weakness, it is that the essays have some repetition in them . . . but that's essential to be sure that the terms being used are understood clearly by the reader.
This book will be essential reading for CFOs, treasurers, hedge fund managers, venture capitalists, bankers, lawyers, accountants, consultants, scholars and finance students.
I thought that the material in Part Three was the strongest in the book. You will probably understand the subject better if you skip to Part Three after reading the overview by Richard E. Gormley and David W Stadinksi from SG Cowen. Then go back to the second essay by E. Kurt Kim of PrivateRaise and follow through to the end of Part Two. If you don't need to understand the legal background, you can skip Part Two.
Anyone who wants to learn how to do better due diligence in any area of finance can learn a lot from the fine essay by Stewart R. Flink of Crestview Capital Funds, "Due Diligence: Caveat Emptor Squared."
I was particularly pleased to see that the essays generously point out all of the ways that these deals can be misstructured, and how you can make a mistake as an investor. Hopefully, the track record of future PIPEs deals will improve as a result.