Corporate Development (M&A) Trends

The evolving storylines reshaping Corporate Development (M&A) — each one tracks the developments over time, with curated deep-dives and what they mean by seniority.

  • Deal Risk Enforcement

    Dealmakers now have to plan around regulators who can shape the structure, routing, and viability of a transaction before it ever closes.

  • AI Middle Layer

    California’s latest energy rules are making utility access and clean-power readiness a prerequisite for closing power-intensive deals.

  • India Exit Shift

    Buyers are increasingly judging sponsor exits on whether the asset is already diligence-ready before the process even starts.

  • AI Diligence in eVestment

    Nasdaq is turning eVestment into an AI-enabled diligence hub, automating document review, DDQs, and monitoring across the investment workflow.

  • CFIUS Sovereign Risk

    Regulators are starting to treat acqui-hires like merger activity, forcing deal teams to assess antitrust risk before the hiring structure is set.

  • Antitrust-Ready Carve-Outs

    As demergers and JV carve-outs rise, Corp Dev teams are being judged on whether they can design a business to stand alone from the start.