M&A is back with a bang. As always,
IFLR1000’s annual rankings identify the law firms
that are shaping the markets to watch
It's been a record-breaking year for M&A. Over the first
11 months, more than $3 trillion of deal volume was announced,
making it the biggest year since the heady days of 2007.
Boardroom confidence is back, debt markets are open, and there
are new forces at play – activism and inversions to
name but a few. Excitement gripped the market over the first
half of the year, as the number and value of deals continued to
rise.
But reality started to kick in come September. Deals,
including blockbusters like Pfizer/AstraZeneca and
AbbVie/Shire, collapsed before completion. Bankers and
management's readiness to agree deals was matched by
regulators' willingness to show their teeth. Nevertheless,
sizeable deals did close, and there is a strong pipeline of
deals set to...