Bright Spot in M&A for 2 Law Firms: Paul Weiss, Kirkland & Ellis Manage $4.6 Billion Deal

Among smart players there is the fundamental insight: It doesn't matter what the market is doing. It's what you're doing. After all, not everyone lost out during The Great Depression.

On the one hand, M&A hasn't been recovering as many tied to dealmakng had anticipated. A sign of that have been the ongoing reductions-in-force in professional services, ranging from Wall Sreet to management consulting to law. 

On the other hand, for some there has been some big action. Both law firms Paul Weiss and Kirkland & Ellis are involved in the legalities of IBM's $4.6 billion acquistion of Apptio. Founded iin 2007, Apptio provides cloud-based software to those managing IT. 

As Bloomberg Law reports, Paul Weiss represents IBM. Kirkland & Ellis represents Apptio's seller Vista Equity Partners. The deal is expected to be completed during the second half of this year. 

There is that cliche: A rising tide lifts all boats. 

This high-profile deal can be leveraged by Paul Weiss and Kirkland & Ellis to attract more M&A assignments. As many know, recently Paul Weiss poached from Morgan Stanley dealmaking powerhouse Rob Kindler. He also has built a reputation for defendng businesses in proxy fights. 

Kirkland & Ellis is reported to scout out M&A work in Saudi Arabia. There dealmaking has caught fire. 

2023. It’s the year of AI, along with uncertainty, inflation, war and more. Your communications and career need a fresh edge. Complimentary consultation with award-winning marketing communications crafter and coach Jane Genova. (For appointments text 203-468-8579 or janegenova374@gmail.com)


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Akin Gump Julia Ghahramani's March 2021 Cocaine+ Death - So?

   It had been way back more than a year ago that first-year associate at law firm Akin Gump Julia Ghahramani died from cocaine laced with fentanyl. Yet that story keeps resurfacing.  This week  RollonFriday  revisits it. And  Reddit Big Law  considers the issue if the energy from cocaine is what's making possible those 2,500 hours billed in law firms.  Is what's keeping this on the radar the hunch that use of the illegal substance cocaine is common among those practicing law? After all, in addition to being an energy-booster, it provides a nice reward for such hard-working lawyers. Also, they have the earnings to afford it. Most of the rest of gunners have to stick with boozing. So, why not?  The reality might be setting in that the death could simply have been an aberration. Think about it this way: Ghahramani had bad luck in her alleged choice of dealers. Others might be able to exert more scrutiny in overseeing the content of the illegal drugs they sold. The message c
Read more

Up-or-Out: McKinsey Raises the Pressure, In Contrast Some Law Firms Ease It through Nonequity Partner Tier

" McKinsey & Co.  warned some US consultants last week they are running out of time to win promotion, raising the 'up or out' pressure on staff as the global consulting industry struggles." - Abovethefold Article in Bloomberg , March 27, 2024 This is yet another sign that once-iconic McKinsey is a professional services firm in trouble. One challenge is overcapacity of manpower. It has also warned about 3,000 consultants about "concerns" regarding their performance.  In addition to the overall slowdown in management consulting, McKinsey faces scrutiny from myriad sources about its client list including assignments with China and Saudi Arabia. There also has been that hatchet-job book "When McKinsey Comes to Town." The most damning aspect of the expose is that former employees dump on it. Posts on the professional anonymous network Fishbowl Consulting aren't optimistic about a turnaround at McKinsey or at other players in that sector. In cont
Read more

Down Memory Lane - There Was Actually a Time in When $70k for New JDs Was Big Money

  Let's cut to the chase. The year was 1987.  On a Monday in October the stock market crashed.  Corporate downsizing, made an art at GE by Jack Welch, was purging the system of middle-aged middle managers. Staples caught the wave of accidental entrepreneurs forced out of corporate careers. It created the new category of office supplies for small business. We the purged agonized at Staples about what color business stationary.  It was the worst of economic times, at least since The Great Depression.  Meanwhile, large law firms were getting a lot of attention because they were paying inexperienced law-school graduates starting salaries of up to $70k.  Cravath got the ball rolling on that. The phenomenon was enough to attract a major article by The Washington Post.   The kicker was this: The money wasn't enough for young lawyers to stay with those jobs which they found long in the hours and short on stimulating assignments. Often they were locked into proofreading documents at the
Read more