North America Careers Home Expertise Distressed & Opportunistic M&A Distressed & Opportunistic M&A Transforming distressed and opportunistic transactions into a positive-sum game As the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic and its profound impact across regions and industries, companies are looking for ways to safeguard their people and the long-term future of their businesses. The current market environment also sets the scene for financial investors, sovereign wealth funds and stronger trade buyers to enter the market and acquire distressed businesses at potentially depressed prices. In such extraordinary circumstances, distressed & opportunistic M&A can quickly become a zero-sum game – for one party to maximize value another must accept undue risk or unfavorable terms. We believe that engineering a positive-sum game is the most effective route to safeguard value and avoid conflict that might otherwise derail a transaction. With this approach, we quickly establish what matters to the parties and their stakeholders, the risks and showstoppers associated with the transaction, and legal restrictions in play. This puts us in the best position to find inventive legal strategies that support a successful outcome – uniting buyers and sellers to close time-sensitive deals. We act for buyers and sellers of distressed businesses which are either already restructuring or in need of immediate liquidity to meet financial obligations and avoid insolvency. We connect buyers with potential bidders/capital provider sources, advising on: Distressed & Opportunistic M&A (including Projects) Take-private transactions PIPE (Private Investment in Public Equity) transactions Why Baker McKenzie? Global footprint, local expertise Multi-faceted team Deep industry knowledge Our unmatched geographic coverage and unrivalled experience executing complex, cross-border transactions and financial restructuring on both sides of the deal mean we are not blindsided by conflict and complexity and can work across time zones, cultures and languages to get deals done. Our seasoned transactional and specialist restructuring & insolvency experts work hand-in-hand to provide bespoke and integrated support across distressed & opportunistic M&A deals. They draw upon the knowledge of antitrust, tax, intellectual property, data privacy, real estate, compliance, dispute resolution and employment lawyers to provide complete solutions. Distress often comes with the same problems, but wrapped in different packages. To every deal, we bring knowledge and experience gained from decades of dealing with thorny issues in a variety of industries and sectors, and help identify unique challenges a company in a particular industry may face. Latest Thinking Previous Asia Pacific DealSCAPE Explore the defining characteristics of transactions using the SCAPE framework and understand legal complexity and stress test plans in an evolving landscape DOWNLOAD REPORT Opportunities in Distressed M&A Opportunities in Distressed M&A considers options for investors and issues in a COVID-19 recovery environment. READ REPORT Next Insight & Publications Podcasts & Webcasts News Visit InsightPlus for our latest legal updates covering Distressed & Opportunistic M&A developments across the globe VISIT INSIGHTPLUS Insight | Thought Leadership Asia Pacific Business Renewal Series Insight | Legal Alert Vietnam's New Investment Landscape Vietnam's new corporate and investment regulatory framework heralds new business opportunities and challenges from 2021. Insight | Podcast FT Big Deal Podcast Series SEE MORE INSIGHT Related Practices Banking & Finance Capital Markets Mergers & Acquisitions Private Equity Projects Restructuring & Insolvency Tax Key Contacts Mergers & Acquisitions Alan F. Zoccolillo, Jr. Partner New York + 1 212 626 4374 Email Mergers & Acquisitions Brian Chia Partner Kuala Lumpur + 60 3 2298 7999 Email Mergers & Acquisitions Christian Atzler Partner Frankfurt + 49 69 2 99 08 124 Email Restructuring & Insolvency Debra A. Dandeneau Partner New York +1 212 626 4875 Email Capital Markets Helen Bradley Partner London + 44 20 7919 1819 Email Private Equity Karen Guch Partner London + 44 20 7919 1757 Email Mergers & Acquisitions Michael F. DeFranco Partner Chicago + 1 312 861 8230 Email VIEW ALL RELATED PROFESSIONALS We use cookies to improve your experience on our website. To find out more about the cookies we use and how to change your settings if you do not want cookies to be placed on your device, please read our Privacy and Cookies Statement. ACCEPT Disclaimers Privacy & Cookies Statement CCPA Contact Us Media Contacts Blogs BM Online Attorney Advertising | © 2021 Baker McKenzie