Recent Insights

Our countdown illustrates the key dates and milestones on the road to Brexit. We will share regular updates regarding the progress of the Brexit negotiations as they unfold.

As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to escalate, ensuring wellbeing of employees is paramount, but it is not the only challenge. There is a vast sway of operational and legal issues that businesses must address, too.

Significant legal and business developments during 2020

Africa in the coronavirus era

In an increasingly interconnected world, cyber risk is firmly at the top of the boardroom agenda, and having an effective data breach response programme is no longer optional.

Competition regulators have shown their ability to act quickly and decisively in order to help allay the worst impacts of the coronavirus outbreak. Could these responses provide a template for achieving environmental and sustainability goals in the future?

While Spain's recession is expected to be among the deepest on the continent, the nation has remained one of the most attractive deal destinations in Europe for PE and M&A

Although COVID-19 lockdowns have seen high-profile companies lose their investment grade status, lenders have continued to support these credits

The decline in H1 2020 leveraged finance issuance has seen some lenders intensify their focus on pricing and borrower-friendly loan structures, but lender responses to the impact of COVID-19 have diverged across regions

Insights from our M&A team, based on M&A activity charts from the White & Case M&A Explorer.

The online gaming industry has flourished amid stay-at-home orders

Leveraged finance defaults are rising as the impact of COVID-19 is felt, but covenant-lite terms, government intervention and support from financial sponsors have mitigated fallout from the pandemic

After COVID-19 concerns brought issuance to a near halt in March, Q2 high yield bond activity climbed in most markets as borrowers sought to boost balance sheets and cash reserves

Latin American loan issuance has felt the effects of COVID-19 disruptions, but lenders have remained open for business as borrowers turn to bilateral loan revolving credit facilities for liquidity

A surge of interest from inbound investors drives recovery after a sharp fall in Q1

Growing investor appetite for financial products with a positive impact, coupled with a demand for recovery capital post-COVID-19, have lifted the market for social bonds

Strong ESG credentials and long-term plans to improve their relationship with society and the environment are increasingly important to ensure companies’ access to capital

The disruption to capital markets caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has not shifted the overall timeline of regulators and industry bodies for the replacement of US dollar LIBOR with SOFR by the end of 2021

Investor sentiment has begun to recover, but ratings downgrades and higher pricing continue to keep loan markets on alert

A handful of large deals struck early in the year provided a few bright spots for Italian M&A activity in H1 2020

The global mining & metals industry began the new decade on a positive note. But as the global economy is struck by the unprecedented force of the coronavirus pandemic, how is the sector positioned for life post-COVID-19?

We highlight the key European M&A trends in the first half of 2020, and provide our insights into the outlook for M&A moving forward.

As the COVID-19 pandemic spread, global M&A value dropped to the lowest half-yearly total since H1 2010

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, total buyout volume in the first half of 2020 dropped 23% annually, while value fell 30%—less than half the rate of decline of overall M&A

French M&A activity has suffered steep falls because of COVID-19, but green shoots are emerging as lockdown measures ease

Technology dealmaking has continued apace in 2020 as M&A investors take advantage of the sector's resilience to transact

The megadeals of 2019 may be off the table for now, but deal activity across healthcare and pharmaceuticals has proven resilient through the COVID-19 crisis

Low prices and excess supply have pushed oil & gas balance sheets to the brink, which means raising traditional debt will remain difficult and restructurings are expected

Remote working, online shopping and telemedicine have shielded the technology sector from the worst effects of COVID-19 lockdowns

The year started strongly for many nations in Latin America, but coronavirus has heavily impacted the M&A market.

COVID-19 has pushed healthcare systems around the world to the limit, but depending on the vertical, certain companies have been less affected than those in other sectors—and the availability of credit to battle the pandemic has helped

COVID-19 is hammering leisure sector M&A—but not so much that opportunities have vanished

Even though COVID-19 has taken a toll on consumer spending and supply chains, the food and beverage industry has shown resilience and continues to tap credit markets

Few sectors have felt the impact of COVID-19 as deeply as aviation, and airlines are exploring all lines of finance to bolster balance sheets.

COVID-19 travel restrictions have put the aviation industry on the backfoot. M&A will not be an immediate priority, but consolidation and distressed deals will come in time

The COVID-19 lockdown forced restaurants, hotels, gyms, theaters and casinos to shut their doors and put balance sheets under extreme strain, but some have tapped debt markets to see them through

Retailers faced a difficult financing market before COVID-19 appeared, but lockdowns have made the situation even tougher

COVID-19 has put dealmaking in the already disrupted retail industry under further strain. Some retailers, however, have proven resilient and those that survive will see opportunity to vertically integrate supply chains and invest in technology capabilities