Overview
A defined, dynamic M&A strategy is critical to stay competitive in the global marketplace. McDermott Will & Schulte’s M&A practice combines its market knowledge and deal execution skills to help clients achieve their transactional strategies. Our M&A practice is consistently recognized by major industry publications. We are listed as Band 1 – M&A Middle Market in The Legal 500 USA, and ranked “Highly Regarded” by Chambers USA. We also routinely rank in Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters, and MergerMarket league tables for deal volume.
Our business-minded lawyers have substantial experience in all forms of M&A. We advise on negotiated and unsolicited acquisitions in a wide variety of contexts, including competitive auctions, exclusive negotiations, tax-driven transactions and cross-border deals. We frequently act for serial buyers and sellers of companies, reflecting our long-standing client relationships. And from decades representing a diverse client base—publicly listed companies, multinational corporations, privately held and family-owned businesses, private equity, family offices, investment banks and institutional investors—we can quickly identify and anticipate different deal perspectives to ensure the proper M&A strategy is deployed.
Many of our clients’ deals have a cross-border dimension. Whether you’re working on a deal in the U.S. or abroad, with more than 150 lawyers across 20 global offices, we have the ability to represent your transactional needs globally regardless of jurisdiction. Moreover, we possess deep industry knowledge in key markets, including energy, telecommunications, media and technology, chemicals, aerospace and defense, mining and metals, life sciences, food and beverage, and healthcare.
What distinguishes our M&A capabilities is our comprehensive transactional offering—regulatory and antitrust, environmental, tax, labor and employment, intellectual property, financing, and, when necessary, litigation—with those services provided by highly recognized and ranked lawyers. In addition, we have a team that focuses on IT outsourcing, transition management and merger integration, which are increasingly important components of our clients’ transactions.
We recognize that cost management is one of our clients’ priorities, and we have accordingly developed client-focused tools designed to streamline the transaction process and reduce overall cost. Regardless of transaction size, our lawyers bring the same practical approach, creativity and commitment to excellence to each matter in which we are engaged.
Family-Owned and Closely Held Businesses
Executing an M&A transaction offers many challenges and is only further complicated when one party, particularly the seller, is a private company (whether a family-owned enterprise or closely held business). We excel at advising closely held and family-owned businesses with their M&A needs. Selling a company is a life-changing event, and generating a large lump sum requires advanced planning and careful consideration to avoid tax issues. Our M&A team, working in tandem with our leading tax and private client practices, can deliver a holistic solution unlike any law firm. Our goal is to ensure the deal is executed and the proceeds maximized for investors and future generations.