Mergermarket quoted partner Michael Woodard, chair of McGuireWoods’ M&A and Energy Transactional Department, in an article titled “Legal Deal Work Zooms Into 2021.” The article looked at the state of deal activity during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
Despite fears that the pandemic would bring deal activity to a standstill, transactional work remained strong in 2020 — including notable fourth-quarter gains — as lawyers learned to navigate new challenges.
The article credited effective merger agreements, an increase in video conference negotiations and a market eager to transact for keeping deal activity on track during the crisis. It also highlighted available financing, buoyant equity markets and buyer confidence as drivers to keep activity moving in 2021.
For the coming year, Woodard predicted an increase in creative deal structures ranging from earn-outs and minority investments with buyout rights to joint ventures.
McGuireWoods ranks among the leading law firms for U.S. and global M&A deals, including private equity transactions. The firm placed fifth for the number of deals involving U.S. targets in Refinitiv’s 2020 year-end league tables and was sixth for U.S. deal count in Bloomberg’s league tables. McGuireWoods was ninth in Refinitiv’s rankings and 10th in Bloomberg’s report for global M&A deals.