We asked Alan Chettiar, Partner and head of our M&A Advisory team, what he and his senior team (Kenan Dizdarevic, CFA, Somant Maraj, Philippe Théroux Ha, Jonathan Lehun) see happening on the ground:
“While our sell- and buy-side processes have slowed down, a healthy handful are going ahead.
The impact of the novel coronavirus on any one deal has unsurprisingly been a function of how impacted each of our clients’ businesses have been.
On the one hand, those that have seen little slow-down because their products or services are essential continue to move towards an exit (albeit delayed, due to buyers and their banks reassessing their leverage plans, and the logistical and due diligence issues caused by the lack of movement across borders).
On the other, for our clients whose businesses are more susceptible to market cycles or who are seeing material declines in revenue, we’re seeing everything from wholesale changes to deal structures, to decisions to put their exits on hold.”
