Frozen Market? Not for Everyone: The Resurgence of Strategic M&A
By Lou Sokolovskiy These days, few in the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) industry are unfamiliar with this scene: a deal, which has been years in the making, is languishing....
AI-Driven M&A in 2025: Fewer Deals, Bigger Bets in the TMT Sector
A new PwC report published Tuesday shows that while tech, media, and telecom M&A volumes are falling, artificial intelligence is fueling a surge in high-value transactions. Strategy, not scale,...
Closing M&A Deals in 2025: Insurance, Bonding, and Hidden Costs
By Lou Sokolovskiy In today’s dynamic M&A landscape, a fresh wave of innovation is reshaping deal-making, with Representation and Warranty (R&W) insurance emerging as a game-changer and bonding requirements...
How Independent Sponsors Seize the Moment in a Quiet M&A Landscape
By Lou Sokolovskiy The mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market has recently been quieter than usual for the big players with professionals whispering that larger transactions are “really struggling to...
What Top Capital Providers Look for in Sponsor Deals Today
By Lou Sokolovskiy As independent sponsor deals become more and more competitive, capital providers are sharpening their focus. This is at least the case for established firms like Merit...
More Than Numbers: The Human Element in Independent Sponsorship
By Lou Sokolovskiy In the world of private lending and independent sponsor deals, success often hinges on more than just strong financials and market opportunity. This is a lesson...
Show Your Hand: Why Sponsors Need to Be More Transparent in 2025
By Lou Sokolovskiy Imagine this scenario: an independent sponsor has identified a promising acquisition with great growth potential. Negotiations are progressing, financing is being pulled together, but as the...
Roll-Up or Roll-Over? A Seasoned Leader’s Insights to Avoid Common Pitfalls
By Lou Sokolovskiy In today’s market, where “roll-ups accounted for over 80% of all deals” in the lower middle market (over 2,000 deals) last year, independent sponsors have increasingly...
Merchant Banking: Bringing the Investor Mindset to the Investment Banking Process
Insights from MiddleMarch Partners What if your investment banker thought like an investor—not just a dealmaker? The merchant banking model offers precisely that: a more engaged and aligned approach...
7 Common Pitfalls for Emerging Independent Sponsors: Insights from Bruce Lipian
By Lou Sokolovskiy, Opus Connect The Independent Sponsor Landscape The independent sponsor model in private equity is thriving, but it also presents unique challenges to emerging sponsors that haven’t...