Author: Nigel PageThere has never been a better time to be an M&A lawyer in Europe - or to be advising on the financing of the continuing rush of mega-deals breaking out across the continent. With activity related to the new economy continuing to rise, M&A activity has accelerated sharply. The number and size of M&A deals are at unprecedented levels.
The figures speak for themselves. The record $3.4 trillion worldwide deal value recorded in 1999 is set to be dwarfed by this year's transactions, with $1.14 trillion of M&A deals racked up in the first quarter of 2000 alone. For once, Europe is claiming the lion's share of the action, and is widely expected to outpace the US in total value of deals this year.
Amid this surge in activity, the obvious question is: who is financing these deals - and how? Shareholders can hardly be expected to stump...
