Smart Business Dealmakers Podcast Interviews Locke Lord’s Mike Wilson on M&A During and After Pandemic

Chicago Partner Mike Wilson was featured on the Smart Business Dealmakers podcast, discussing M&A trends during the COVID-19 pandemic and his outlook going forward. Wilson noted buyers are exhibiting more caution due to the current climate, while sellers are willing to be more creative and push the envelope to close an attractive deal. Wilson also said he has seen more growth equity deals, even involving companies that would normally have taken a majority stake in past acquisitions.

“I think what the pandemic did was cause buyers and investors to pause, take a hard look at their portfolios and think very carefully about what they wanted to be in,” Wilson said. “The rush to quality is certainly there.”

Wilson also noted the prevalence of working from home has brought up new questions for his clients, especially around having workers move between states. However, he noted there have been unexpected benefits to the rise of remote work as well.

“We’ve seen this work-from-home environment actually do a lot of really good things for our clients. The way they are able to interact with their counterparts on deals has been significantly streamlined,” he said.

To listen to the full podcast, click here.