Mergermarket M&A Highlights 9M26

Corporate & Securities partners Kate Ball-Dodd and Harriet Hainsworth are quoted in Mergermarket’s M&A Highlights report for 3Q 2026, which covers the trends shaping dealmaking in 2026. Key themes include record megadeal activity, a more cautious mid-market and continued strength in EMEA.

On Europe, Kate Ball-Dodd said: "It has been stop-start. The overarching reason for transactions to stop is when the parties are not aligned on value." Looking at the global picture, Harriet Hainsworth said of the third-quarter slow-down that followed a record second quarter: "What matters now is how quickly that pipeline replenishes as we move into 4Q."