Global M&A Trends and Risks Report debuts on Mergermarket's platform
In the latest edition of the Global M&A Trends and Risks report, a collaboration between a global law firm and Mergermarket, several key trends and risks shaping the global M&A landscape have been highlighted.
Robust and Resilient Activity, Yet Caution Prevails
Despite significant macroeconomic, geopolitical, and policy uncertainty, M&A activity has remained resilient. Companies are pursuing profitable growth and premium valuations, supported by optimism due to potential tariff resolutions that might improve the macroeconomic environment, encouraging deal activity acceleration in the second half of 2025.
Regional Disparities and Sector-Specific Shifts
The report reveals regional disparities in M&A activity. Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) experienced strong year-on-year M&A volume growth, while Asia-Pacific saw a reduction in insurance sector M&A. North America experienced a slowdown in Q2 2025, mostly due to cautious economic policy assessment and elevated interest rates.
Financial services M&A in Europe and Asia showed an uptick in deal volume and value, reflecting ongoing strategic acquisitions aiming at revenue growth and cost optimization.
Geopolitical and Economic Uncertainty, High Valuation Concerns, and Other Risks
Ongoing geopolitical tensions, tariff policies, and inflation create caution among dealmakers, particularly affecting cross-border deals and leading to more domestic-focused transactions. Persistently high asset valuations lead to selective dealmaking, with carriers and investors often preferring smaller bolt-on acquisitions or organic growth over large transformative deals.
Interest rate volatility, private equity interest dip, and the escalation in trade tensions have also been identified as risks that may impact M&A activities.
The Global Corporate, M&A and Securities Team
Our website's global corporate, M&A, and securities team offers legal advice on various M&A matters. Comprising over 450 M&A partners and 700 other deal lawyers worldwide, the team is involved in some of the most high-profile, complex, and significant transactions in the market.
The team advises on public transactions, take-privates, strategic review processes, joint ventures, carveout dispositions and acquisitions, debt and equity capital markets transactions, governance, compliance, general commercial, and corporate advisory matters.
The Survey and Findings
The report examines trends shaping dealmaking around the world and includes a survey of 200 top-level executives. Forty-four percent of survey participants expect domestic private equity buyers to be among the most active types of acquirers in deal markets in 2025.
More than two-thirds of respondents said the escalation in trade tensions had caused their appetite for M&A to decrease. Fifty-one percent have acquired an AI business, with respondents applying the technology to various parts of their M&A processes.
Nearly 65 percent of respondents expect the use of representations and warranties insurance (RWI) to increase in 2025 compared to 2024. A quarter of respondents believe private credit will be the single most important form of financing to be employed in the market over the next two years for M&A deals.
The Global M&A trends and risks report (third edition) has been released by our website in collaboration with Mergermarket, following a survey conducted across Q1 and Q2 of 2025.
For media inquiries, Dan McKenna, US Director and Global Head of PR and Communications, can be contacted at 1 713 651 3576. Louise Nelson, Head of PR - Europe, Middle East, and Asia, can be contacted at 44 20 7444 5086 or 44 79 0968 4893.
[1] Source: Global M&A Trends and Risks Report 2025, Collaboration between a global law firm and Mergermarket. [2] Source: Global M&A Trends and Risks Report 2025, Collaboration between a global law firm and Mergermarket. [3] Source: Global M&A Trends and Risks Report 2025, Collaboration between a global law firm and Mergermarket. [4] Source: Global M&A Trends and Risks Report 2025, Collaboration between a global law firm and Mergermarket.
Technology plays a crucial role in shaping the M&A process, as 51% of the surveyed executives have already incorporated AI into various parts of their M&A operations.
The financial services sector, bolstered by technology, has shown a rise in M&A activity, with Europe and Asia witnessing increased deal volume and value due to strategic acquisitions aimed at revenue growth and cost optimization.
