DLA Piper M&A Summit
Transacting in Times of Unrest, Uncertainty and an Election
Tuesday, April 30, 2024
DLA Piper hosted their inaugural DLA Piper M&A Summit in New York on April 30, 2024.
The Summit included panels of all-star dealmakers, investors, and innovators discussing a number of timely, M&A trends and topics, as well as exclusive industry networking opportunities. Our panels of industry leaders offered observations on the state of the market and shared their insights on executing transactions in both certain and uncertain market conditions.
Our panelists included an esteemed list of dealmakers, investors, and innovators from organizations such as Tilray Brands, Bain Capital, UBS, Cortec Group, Snowpoint Ventures, Spotlight Advisors, Moelis, and Progress Software, among others.
DLA Piper lawyers led discussions tailored to address the business-critical issues the industry currently faces.
- Transacting globally amid issues and concerns arising from macropolitical events and the current state of the US markets.
- Understanding and Mitigating Current Cyber Risk in Mergers and Acquisitions
- How are Leveraged Buyers Closing Deals in the Current Financing Environment?
- Activism in the Current Environment
- Current Trends in Public M&A
- Beyond the Rhetoric: What’s Really Happening in Antitrust Merger Review?
For more information
Please send inquiries to MASummit@us.dlapiper.com.
Event photos
Agenda
Speaker
Christopher Giordano, Partner; Chair, US Mergers and Acquisitions Group, Chair, New York Corporate Group, DLA Piper
Speakers
Doug Philippone, Co-Founder & General Partner of Snowpoint Ventures and Head of Global Defense at Palantir Technologies
Richard Hans, Managing Partner, Verticals, DLA Piper
Summary
Doug Philippone will address transacting globally amid issues and concerns arising from macropolitical events and the current state of the US markets.
10:00 AM-10:50 AM
Moderator
Andy Serwin, Partner, DLA Piper
Speakers
Kelly Harris, Managing Director Global Head of Cyber Legal, UBS
Samantha Vaughan, Chief Privacy Officer, Verisk
Carmen Oveissi Field, Principal, Cyber and Strategic Risk, Deloitte
James Perry, Senior Director, Consulting Services, CrowdStrike Services
Summary
Mergers and acquisitions can present your company with significant opportunities, as well as risks. Information can be one of the main values of a transaction, but it can also present risks that can derail a transaction. This presentation will examine the pitfalls and opportunities of an M&A transaction, as well as how to better prepare for and understand the cyber risks inherent in many acquisitions.
11:15 AM-12:10 PM
Moderator
James Kelly, Partner, DLA Piper
Speakers
Michael Najjar, Managing Partner, Cortec Group
Alan Rockwell, Partner, DLA Piper
Dan Alster, Managing Director, J. Wood Capital Advisors
Rob Callaghan, Associate Director, Capital Markets, Deerpath Capital
Summary
This panel discussion will focus on the current state of the debt finance markets in the US, offering up views on the current state of public syndicated loan markets and availability of debt financing from private credit funds and how this impacts the ability of corporate borrowers to raise new debt financing to help fund acquisitions of new businesses or refinancing existing debt that is maturing. Our panelists will offer up views from the perspective of lenders, borrowers, debt advisors and counsel taking into account recent market activity and the current regulatory and macro-economic environment and will compare market trends between 2023 and Q1 2024 and look ahead to what is in store for the remainder of 2024 and 2025.
Speaker
Amanda Wait, Partner, DLA Piper
1:30 PM-2:15 PM
Moderator
Sanjay Shirodkar, Partner, DLA Piper
Speakers
Paul Schulman, Senior Managing Partner – M&A and Activism Advisory, Morrow Sodali
Greg Taxin, Managing Member, Spotlight Advisors
Craig Wadler, Managing Director, Moelis & Co.
Summary
Shareholder activism in M&A has become a pivotal force in shaping corporate strategies, with activists leveraging their equity stakes to influence M&A outcomes and unlock shareholder value. In the current landscape, activists are increasingly sophisticated, utilizing a variety of tactics ranging from public campaigns to proxy fights to affect both the negotiation and execution of M&A deals. This panel will explore the evolving dynamics of shareholder activism in M&A, examining its impact on deal structures, corporate governance, and market perceptions, as well as the implications for boards, management teams, and investors.
Moderator
Jon Venick, Partner, DLA Piper
Speakers
Denise Faltischek, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of International, Tilray Brands
Anton Sahazizian, Managing Director Global Head of Mergers & Acquisitions, Moelis
Stephanie Wang, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, Progress Software
Summary
The discussion will focus on current and anticipated trends in the market with respect to acquisitions of public companies, including an overview of the impact that interest rates, geopolitical events and general market volatility has had on the market in general and specific sectors. The panelists will also discuss the impact on the market that increased foreign direct investment and anti-trust related legislation has had, including with respect to timing and expense expectations.
Speaker
Christopher Giordano, Partner; Chair, US Mergers and Acquisitions Group, Chair, New York Corporate Group, DLA Piper
Speakers
| Kelly Harris Managing Director Global Head of Cyber Legal UBS |
Greg Taxin |
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James Perry |
Craig Wadler
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Michael Najjar |
Stephanie Wang
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Paul Schulman |
Denise Faltischek |
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Samantha Vaughan
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Anton Sahazizian
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Dan Alster |
Carmen Oveissi Field |
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Rob Callaghan |
Doug Philippone Co-Founder & General Partner of Snowpoint Ventures and Head of Global Defense at Palantir Technologies |
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