Mergers and Acquisitions

From our beginnings as a startup, Skadden forged a reputation as a global leader in mergers and acquisitions by relying on innovation, intellect, teamwork and tenacity. In some ways, little has changed: By remaining steadfastly committed to the qualities underlying our early successes and adding to our collective experience over the decades, our lawyers are able to advise clients in almost any potential M&A scenario.

Recognition

Consistently Ranked: A top firm worldwide and in the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe for announced M&A deals by value
– Bloomberg, Mergermarket and LSEG League Tables

Top Tier: One of only six firms ranked in Band 1 for Corporate/M&A (Global: Multi-Jurisdictional)
– Chambers Global 2025

Band 1: One of eight firms ranked in the top tier for Corporate/M&A: The Elite (Nationwide)
– Chambers USA 2025

Law Firm of the Year: Corporate Law
– Best Lawyers Best Law Firms 2026

A Mergers & Acquisitions Group of the Year: The eighth time recognized in the last decade
– Law360 2024

US Corporate M&A Law Firm of the Year
– Chambers USA 2023

Financial Services M&A Legal Advisory Firm of the Year
– Mergermarket North America M&A Awards 2021

Record-Breaking: The first law firm to handle more than $1 trillion in global announced M&A deals in a single year

America’s Best Corporate Law Firms: Named the top firm more times than any other firm
– Corporate Board Member

Our Approach

While we advise many of the world’s largest companies, investment banks and other active participants in the M&A market — often on their most high-profile transactions — Skadden also represents smaller entities that are not regularly engaged in such deals. Our attorneys partner with clients to bring innovation, creativity and commitment to excellence to every matter, regardless of size.

Skadden’s top-tier M&A practice is known for providing sophisticated and coordinated real-time counsel whenever and wherever needed. In all aspects of our work, we remain true to our core beliefs of doing what is right for clients through a collaborative partnership that delivers results. We have one of the largest, most experienced teams of transactional lawyers who possess a wide range of experiences and perspectives, allowing us to successfully handle any potential situation that may arise in a transaction.

Skadden lawyers handle the full spectrum of negotiated and contested situations, including:

  • Advance preparation for prospective targets
  • Asset sales and purchases
  • Corporate governance advice
  • General corporate counseling
  • Joint ventures
  • Leveraged buyouts
  • Private equity
  • Proxy contests
  • Recapitalizations
  • Special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) initial business combinations
  • Spin-offs/Split-offs
  • Stock sales and purchases
  • Strategic mergers
  • Tender offers

Skadden is well-known for our representation of bidders, targets, boards of directors, shareholders and financial advisors in unsolicited (“hostile”) transactions and contests for corporate control, including in connection with tender offers and proxy fights. The firm has been involved in contested takeovers and proxy contests since our earliest years, and we are recognized as a leader in the area. Over the last several decades, we have advised on many of the biggest corporate battles worldwide, working with clients to achieve results in their very best interests.

Our attorneys regularly counsel companies in connection with corporate governance, takeover preparedness and other corporate matters that do not involve pending mergers and acquisitions. We provide advice in a broad range of areas, including directors’ duties and responsibilities, board and committee structures, corporate preparedness and contingency planning, “anti-takeover” charter and by-law provisions and rights plans, and director indemnification, severance and change-in-control compensation arrangements.

Our Resources

We easily collaborate across our global platform, seamlessly leveraging our broad range of practices to successfully handle our clients’ most challenging transactions from start to finish.

Geographic Reach

Skadden’s long-standing experience in handling complex, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, coupled with our ability to assemble teams from 21 offices around the world, allows our attorneys to provide pertinent subject matter advice and geographical coverage for the most sophisticated multijurisdictional transactions.

Practice Platform

The broad diversification of the firm’s work in more than 50 practice areas enables us to provide our clients with coordinated legal advice in multiple areas of the law, including areas critical to successfully completing M&A matters, such as:

  • Antitrust/Competition
  • Capital Markets
  • CFIUS/National Security
  • Corporate Restructuring
  • Cybersecurity and Data Privacy
  • Energy and Infrastructure Projects
  • Environmental
  • ESG
  • Executive Compensation and Benefits
  • Finance
  • Health Care
  • Intellectual Property and Technology
  • International Trade
  • Labor and Employment Law
  • Life Sciences
  • Litigation
  • Mass Torts Litigation
  • Media and Entertainment
  • Real Estate
  • SEC Reporting and Compliance
  • Securities Litigation
  • Tax

Broad Industry Experience

Because of the scope of our global M&A practice, our attorneys bring considerable knowledge of specific laws and regulations that govern various industries, including:

  • Airlines/transportation
  • Banking
  • Chemicals
  • Consumer
  • Defense/aerospace
  • Energy
  • Entertainment/media
  • Financial services
  • Forest products
  • Health care
  • Industrials
  • Insurance
  • Leisure and gaming
  • Life sciences
  • Real estate
  • Retail
  • Technology
  • Telecommunications
  • Utilities