Dealmaking was just so-so last year in much of the world, even as it was a time for megadeals in the United States. The volume of global mergers and acquisitions was down 6 percent, to $2.4 trillion, the slowest year for M&A since 2009, according to Thomson Reuters. But M&A work in the United States saw a sizable uptick, and deals with U.S. targets were a particular bright spot, posting a gain of 11.3 percent, to $1.04 trillion. One clear outlier made a material impact on the year’s totals: Verizon Communications Inc.’s $130 billion deal to acquire the 45 percent stake in its Verizon Wireless unit held by British mobile phone giant Vodafone Group Plc. That transaction was among the matters that yielded lead roles for the dozen attorneys featured here as The American Lawyer’s top dealmakers of 2013.
Overview: Standout Lawyers in Tough Times
The lawyers behind the most innovative corporate work, plus the details of the transactions they negotiated.
