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M&A activity was down, down, down around the world in January, but dealmaking involving Texas lawyers was up, up, up. Claire Poole reports on that plus last week’s M&A and capital markets activity.
Kirkland & Ellis, Vinson & Elkins and Latham & Watkins continue to top the Texas M&A charts, according to new data from Mergermarket. Despite a decline in dealmaking in 2019, a few firms showed a jump in the number of transactions they handled last year, including DLA Piper, Willkie Farr, Hunton AK and Holland & Knight.
The moves – one to another law firm and the other in-house – follow the firm’s global capital markets co-chairs departing for Winston & Strawn. Claire Poole has the story.
Bankruptcies in the oil and gas industry increased last year, especially in the fourth quarter, according to one report, and commodity prices may remain challenged despite recent geopolitical events. Claire Poole reports on that plus last week’s dealmaking slide.
The former capital markets co-chairs said in an interview they needed the Chicago firm’s platform to better serve their clients and “truly be on top.”
The total value of deals among companies in the Lone Star State dropped to the lowest level since 2013 and deal count slid as well, a phenomenon many blame on the sinking fortunes of the oil and gas industry.
The money continued to roll into private equity firms last year while Austin companies raised the most venture capital since 2000. Claire Poole delves into the data and discusses dealmaking last week among Texas attorneys.
The average value of M&A deals globally last year reached $389 million, the highest since 2015, and take-privates amounted to $158.3 billion, the highest value since 2007. Claire Poole discusses those and other Mergermarket statistics plus the dealmaking week that was among Texas lawyers.
The year was dominated by creatively crafted oil and gas deals, given the negative climate around the industry, but also populated with bank combinations and sell-offs of much-loved state brands.
Rob Fowler will rejoin forces with Kirkland partner Sean Wheeler, who previously worked with him on deals at Baker Botts.
Globally, 2019 came in as the fourth highest dealmaking year ever, thanks to U.S. buyers, but a slight slowdown in deal value and count over 2018 could portend a different-looking 2020.
The year-end rush to ink deals continued before the holidays began, with transactions down on a volume and value basis over the previous week but up on both metrics over the same time last year.
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