fivehundred magazine | fivehundred online

After two subdued years, global M&A activity is showing signs of recovery. Though large-ticket M&A and private equity deals have been suppressed, Q1 2024 recorded the highest number of large deals per quarter in nearly 24 months1.

After a dismal 2023 for dealmaking, partners are focusing on the positives, despite lingering economic and geopolitical uncertainties. So is the M&A market ready for takeoff?

In the wake of recent advances in generative artificial intelligence (AI), AI has shot to the top of the board agenda. No one wants to miss out on this transformative technology – but businesses need to ensure FOMO doesn’t lead to bad investments. Jonny Bethell and Jo Joyce of Taylor Wessing explore the potential pitfalls to avoid in AI acquisitions

The planned tie-up between Vodafone and Three UK stood out in last year’s stuttering M&A market. Here, Slaughter and May M&A partners Victoria MacDuff and Richard Hilton, lead counsel for Vodafone, tell Legal 500 London editor Cameron Purse all about the deal

‘I pinch myself (most days!)’ – Clifford Chance’s London corporate co-head Melissa Fogarty on memorable deals, embracing technology and why she would absolutely recommend a career in M&A law

Multiple signs are pointing to an increasing momentum around M&A activity. If you’ve been holding out for better conditions to sell your business, now is the time to make sure you’re exit ready. Taylor Wessing’s Emma Danks, Suzy Davis and Siobhán Langwade outline key areas of focus and practical matters

From premium, multibillion-pound practices to national players handling heavy
volumes of transactional matters, the Legal 500’s M&A rankings cover the full
gamut of the deals market

Gorriceta Africa Cauton & Saavedra lawyers led by Mark S. Gorriceta (managing partner), Kristine T. Torres (partner) and Kathleen T. Guiang (mid level associate) explore the challenges, cross-border elements and post acquisition disputes for M&A transactions in the Philippines

Long and unpredictable hours can make transactional work hard to reconcile with mental health considerations. Elisha Juttla and Holly McKechnie spoke to City partners about how they keep things in check – and why the industry still needs to change

Rafael Salaberren Dupont, Juan Manuel Campos Álvarez, and Diego D’Odorico of SyLS discuss the processes, challenges, and prospects for M&A in Argentina

‘The deal was the most complete learning experience I could have ever hoped for’ – Skadden’s global head of transactions Lorenzo Corte on deal highlights and coming from a family of lawyers

Elite US law firms are stocking up on antitrust expertise as the Federal Trade Commission cracks down on enforcement. Barnaby Merrill speaks to top practitioners about the current deal landscape and the key issues for clients under scrutiny

Jérôme Terfve and Guillaume Charlier report on the treatment of excess cash in M&A transactions by the Belgian authorities

‘We were at the centre of a deal that was necessary to ensure global financial stability – the stakes don’t get higher’ – Freshfields’ head of consumer and healthcare Jennifer Bethlehem on deal highlights and having the personality for M&A

A quick scan of the inevitable January opinion pieces predicting trends in the litigation market for the year ahead gives a fairly consistent view of topics we are likely to see. Against a backdrop of continued economic and geopolitical instability, ongoing inflation, high interest rates and supply chain disruption, commentators foresee an increase in insolvency-related …

Continue reading “Groundhog Day?”

From group actions to competition claims and ESG-related litigation, 2024 is set for an array of complex and multifaceted disputes, with the stars of the Bar out in force. LB analyses the cases of the year