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ARTICLE · 22 NOVEMBER 2023

Why Now Is The Time To Get M&A-Ready

Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
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Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

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If the merger and acquisition (M&A) market of two years ago could be compared to a breathless sprint, today's deal-making environment is more of a stroll.

GlobalCorporate/Commercial Law
Graham King
Graham King
Jasmine Lothian
Jasmine Lothian
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If the merger and acquisition (M&A) market of two years ago could be compared to a breathless sprint, today's deal-making environment is more of a stroll. The first quarter of 2023 saw deal volumes and values decline, and while Q2 marked an uptick, it was largely driven by several high-value transactions rather than signaling a true broader market resurgence. This was made apparent in Q3, which remained sluggish.

Yet, despite this slump in deal activity, there are still buyers and sellers eager to transact. So, what's going on in the current market?

Is it time, yet?

BLG's M&A advisory lawyers see one of the main hurdles to getting deals done in today's environment as agreement on valuations. Many sellers, having seen the prices paid for companies amid the pandemic, are not pleased that the heyday has passed and buyers and sellers seem to be further apart in pricing deals than ever.

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