Can closing be split so some parts of the deal finish today and others finish later?

Yes, a purchase agreement can be structured this way, sometimes called a split or staged closing, where the main components of the deal — the core assets or shares — complete on the primary closing date, while one or more specific items complete later on an agreed date once a particular condition is met. A lease assignment still waiting on landlord consent, or a licence transfer that takes longer to process, are common reasons parties build in this kind of structure rather than delaying the whole transaction.

This isn't something that happens automatically, though — it needs to be deliberately negotiated and clearly documented in the purchase agreement itself, including how the purchase price is allocated between what closes now and what closes later, who bears the risk on the outstanding item in the interim, and what happens if the later piece never actually completes. If you're facing a genuine reason to delay only part of a deal, raise a split closing with your lawyer as an option rather than assuming the whole closing has to wait.