Big Law Dealmakers Saw Tale of Two Halves in Q1 M&A Market

Heading into 2020 law firm dealmakers already faced many risks and uncertainties in the market, but with the spread of coronavirus and its effects on the economy, the slowdown some had feared seems to have arrived.

In the first quarter of 2020, global M&A activity was down over 30% with $657.5 billion in aggregate deal volume over the same time period last year, the lowest for any quarter since 2014.

Since the virus began shaking up the markets around March, law firms that focus on deal work face a situation unlike any other in recent memory, and a deal market ...