Rita O'Neill, a partner in S&C's M&A Group and Co-Head of the Firm's Global Private Equity Group, discussed some of the challenges in the M&A market, including financing and regulatory scrutiny as well as diversity, during the “Leading Women Dealmakers” panel presented by Expert Webcast. The discussion was featured in a Law360 article, “Female M&A Panel Says Creativity, Diversity Key To Survival.”
“This is the time to be creative,” said Rita, who is Vice Chair of the ABA M&A Committee, Co-Chair of the ABA Acquisition of Public Companies Subcommittee and Co-Chair of the Tulane Corporate Law Institute.
Rita noted that new deal structures are getting more attention, including private equity and strategic companies combining to do larger deals, increases in private credit funding, and more general partners teaming up without relying as much on limited partners.
Rita and the other speakers also advocated for more diversity in M&A dealmaking. Rita pointed to “a massive gender gap across M&A and law and other advisers” and noted that creating more diversity makes good business sense.
“Diversity, including gender diversity, allows for greater creativity and problem-solving,” Rita said. “Within M&A, especially in the current environment, creativity in structuring and deal terms is really what you need to succeed.”
Read “Female M&A Panel Says Creativity, Diversity Key To Survival.”