As The Wall Street Journal noted this week, recent reports from financial services giant Credit Suisse and Magic Circle firm Clifford Chance indicate an M&A boom may be on the horizon, though a growing appetite for cross-border deals, combined with increased regulatory enforcement, presents challenges for those eyeing mergers.

Should a boom come, it would be a boon to Am Law 100 and Global 100 firms, which continue to chase transactional work around the world in an effort to fill their coffers.