U.S. Update – 2015 Checklist for successful acquisitions in the U.S.

Contributed by: Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz (New York) and King & Wood Mallesons (Beijing)

M&A was robust in 2014, hitting several noteworthy post-crisis high-water marks: total global volume reached US$3.5 trillion, cross-border volume reached US$1.3 trillion (37% of the total) and cross-border M&A involving U.S. companies reached US$770 billion (45% of which was incoming). Acquirors from Germany, France, Canada, Japan and the United Kingdom accounted for 67% of the incoming acquisitions into the U.S., and acquirors from China, India and other emerging economies accounted for approximately 7%. Cross-border deals announced in 2014 included some of the year's largest, including many above US$10 billion and a number of real blockbusters.