The Takeovers Panel has released a guide for directors, ahead of an expected ramp up in merger and acquisitions this year.
The regulatory body says there are potentially hundreds of unlisted companies that aren't aware they are subject to the Takeovers Code.
The guide explains how to identify if a company is covered by the code and also whether particular transactions are covered by it.
Takeovers Panel chief executive Margaret Bearsley says directors face all manner of obligations and responsibilities, so it wanted to provide a resource in non-technical language.