Gowling WLG's M&A deals surge 20% in 2019

21 January 2020

Gowling WLG set new records for M&A in 2019, having been credited by Refinitiv and Bloomberg[1] with advising on more Canadian M&A transactions, more global transactions than in any prior year, and ranking among the top law firms for UK, European and global mid-market M&A[2].

In 2019, Refinitiv (formerly Thomson Reuters) credited Gowling WLG with 235 deals worldwide. This figure represents a 20% surge from the firm’s 196 credited transactions in 2018. The increase is notable when contrasted with global deal making which declined 5% from 2018 to a three-year low.

Refinitiv also ranked the firm:

  • #1 for Canadian M&A with 165 deals;
  • #10 for UK mid-market M&A with 55 deals;
  • #19 for European mid-market M&A with 84 deals; and
  • #12 for Worldwide mid-market M&A with 231 deals.

Bloomberg’s overall results substantially echoed Refinitiv’s rankings.

Peter Lukasiewicz, Gowling WLG's Canadian chief executive officer, said: “We are now entering the fifth year since the establishment of our global law firm in 2016. Our record deal numbers and strengthening national, UK, European and global rankings demonstrate our success in delivering on our client promise to ensure exceptional results.”

Karen Hennessey, head of the firm's M&A team in Canada, added: “We reached another high-water mark for M&A in Canada and ranked among the top mid-market M&A firms globally. Even in the face of economic uncertainty, our group continues to outperform and we fully expect another market-leading performance in 2020.”

Quarter after quarter, Gowling WLG continues to build on its reputation as an extraordinarily active M&A powerhouse. Combining legal knowledge and business acumen, members of the firm's M&A practice serve as trusted advisors to a range of international clients - both publicly traded and privately held - across all major industry sectors.

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[1] Refinitiv: Global Mergers & Acquisitions Review Full Year 2019 and Global Mid-Market M&A Review Full Year 2019; Bloomberg: Global M&A Market Review Legal Rankings 2019 and Global M&A Mid-Market Review Legal Rankings 2019.

[2] Mid-market M&A deals are defined as transactions valued at up to US$500 million or with no announced value.