A.E. Feldman Blog

Turmoil in the credit markets put an end to the multi-billion-dollar “mega buyouts” of 2007, but fallout from the credit crunch has not crippled private equity fund-raising.  As of November, U.S. private equity firms surpassed the $270 billion fund-raising mark for the year, topping the $258.2 billion record set in 2006, according to the latest [...]

Credit concerns have not eroded optimism about 2008.  Money managers remain bullish for the year ahead despite the subprime meltdown and worries over a shrinking U.S. economy, according to Russell Investments’ latest survey of investment managers, Investment Manager Outlook.  Optimists say any slowdown will likely be confined to areas within fixed-income, which bodes well for [...]

The ripple effect of the subprime meltdown has resulted in increased demand for attorneys specializing in litigation, securities, restructuring, real estate, and bankruptcy. Executive recruiting firm, A.E. Feldman, says a number of law firms are expanding their ranks and bankruptcy attorneys are becoming hot commodities.
 
Everyone, it seems, is preparing for a coming wave of new [...]

The number of global deals has grown exponentially, increasing the need for thorough due diligence.  Through mid-December, global announced M&A activity shattered all previous records to reach $4.35 trillion, a 20% increase over last year’s record, according to Thomson Financial.  But new M&A accounting rules recently issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) could [...]

Distressed debt investors are eyeing leveraged buyout debt as the next big buying opportunity.  New research commissioned by law firm, Bracewell & Giuliani, finds that more than 85% of distressed debt investors and other leveraged debt players polled are concerned about how companies will refinance massive debt taken on for their leveraged buyouts (LBOs).  Executive [...]

2007 has been a banner year for global mergers and acquisitions.  Through mid-December, global announced M&A activity shattered all previous records to reach $4.35 trillion, a 20% increase over last year’s record, according to Thomson Financial.  But, as the year draws to a close, the credit crisis has undoubtedly left its mark on dealmakers’ sentiments [...]

Demand for internal audit professionals is rising sharply.  A recent study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers finds that the number of internal auditors is expected to increase over the next five years, and that technology will have a significant impact on the evolution of internal audit responsibilities.  The study also finds that internal audit leaders must move [...]

Private equity funds, hedge funds, investment banks and other global investors have found a new investment opportunity: infrastructure.  Most recently, Babcock & Brown announced that it has raised an additional $230 million of committed capital focused primarily on infrastructure investment opportunities in the North American markets. Executive search firm, A.E. Feldman, reports that as the [...]

The total number of attorneys at the nation’s 250 largest law firms (NLJ 250) increased by nearly 6% in 2007, surpassing last year’s 4% jump, according to a recent survey conducted by The National Law Journal.  Rex Bossert, Editor in Chief of The National Law Journal, says, “The healthy leap in the overall number of [...]

Global venture capital investment is on pace to hit a six-year high in the fourth quarter.  VC investment is expected to top $40 billion by the end of the year, the highest level since 2001 ($55 billion), according to Dow Jones VentureOne and Ernst & Young.  The analysis also shows that deal flow is likely [...]