The coronavirus pandemic has forever altered both the risk landscape and the diligence protocols for merger and acquisition transactions, and at every stage—from deals that closed prior to, and during, the pandemic to those that are still pending to every deal in their wake. No matter what stage the transaction, however, compliance should always have a seat at the table.
At a macro level, M&A activity has declined on a global scale. According to a recent analysis by financial software company Dealogic, as of April 1, the first quarter of 2020 recorded $690.1 billion in volume and $5.7 billion in revenue, a 35.5 percent and 16.3 percent year-on-year decline, respectively, and the lowest first-quarter volume since 2013. Americas-targeted M&A volume saw the deepest year-on-year decline of 50 percent, Dealogic’s analysis found.
