Gowling WLG among top 20 law firms for global M&A deal count in 2021

Gowling WLG ended 2021 on a high note, having been credited with a record deal count for the firm in terms of global, Canadian and UK M&A transactions.

Bloomberg, in its yearend legal advisory league tables*, credited the firm with:

• 259 global deals for a #20 ranking among law firms worldwide
• 173 Canadian deals for a #2 ranking among law firms advising on Canadian deals
• 73 UK deals for a #13 ranking among law firms advising on UK deals

Over the course of the year, some of the firm's higher profile M&A transactions included:

• The Bountiful Company's US$5.75 billion sale of core brands to Nestlé
• DECIEM Beauty Group with respect to a US$1 billion investment in the company by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
• GCP Student Living PLC in its £969 million acquisition by Gemini Jersey JV L.P. 
• Codemasters on its £945 million acquisition by Codex Games, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts 
• Bluma Wellness in its acquisition by Cresco Labs 
• Cairngorm Capital on its merger of Grant & Stone and IBMG in order to create the largest builders' merchant group in the South of England

Karen Hennessey, head of the firm's M&A practice in Canada, commented: "I am extremely proud of what our clients and our Canadian, UK and global teams have accomplished over the course of an extremely active year. Despite the ongoing uncertainty imposed by the pandemic, the work of our M&A professionals continued unabated, and I expect that 2022 will prove to be another banner year for the firm."

Sunil Kakkad, head of the firm's corporate practice in the UK, added: "We are particularly pleased to note the increasing number of M&A mandates involving cross-border collaborations among our professionals internationally, including The Bountiful Company's US$5.75 billion sale of core brands to Nestlé, which involved teams of professionals both in Canada and the UK."

Quarter after quarter, in all economic environments, Gowling WLG is regularly ranked among leading law firms for M&A transactions. Combining legal knowledge and business acumen, members of the firm's M&A practice serve as trusted advisors to a range of domestic and international clients across all major industry sectors.

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*Bloomberg: Global M&A Market Review Legal Rankings 2021