Executing cross border private M&A transactions has become increasingly complex as geopolitical fragmentation, shifting trade and investment corridors, and regulatory intervention continue to reshape the global dealmaking environment. Against this backdrop, businesses and investors must navigate heightened uncertainty alongside more demanding legal and regulatory expectations across jurisdictions.
The newly released Baker McKenzie Global Private M&A Guide 2026 provides a comprehensive overview of the key legal and regulatory frameworks affecting private M&A transactions in nearly 40 jurisdictions. The Guide follows the full lifecycle of a transaction — from deal strategy and due diligence to structuring, financing, signing and closing — offering practical insight for navigating today’s cross border transactions.
Jannan Crozier, Global Head of M&A at Baker McKenzie, commented:
“While dealmaking conditions remain challenging, we are seeing renewed momentum driven by strategic necessity, capital redeployment and evolving global trade and investment patterns. Businesses are adapting by pursuing more complex, cross border transactions and by reassessing where and how they invest. In this environment, having a clear view of regulatory risk and local market requirements is essential to executing deals successfully.”
Reflecting the changing geopolitical landscape, the 2026 edition places particular emphasis on deal regulation, including merger control, foreign investment review and other regulatory regimes that are now central considerations in transaction planning. The Guide also addresses key tax structuring considerations, employment law obligations and anti bribery risks that may materially impact deal outcomes.
Sunny Mann, Global Chair of Baker McKenzie, added:
"Geopolitical tension, national security considerations, economic nationalism, and regulatory fragmentation increasingly wield significant influence over how and where deals are done. As geopolitical volatility expedites the emergence of new trade and investment corridors, they bring with them new opportunities that dealmakers can explore. At the same time, they must navigate more complex combinations of regulatory scrutiny, enforcement activity and cross border dispute risks. Early integrated risk assessment across jurisdictions, reflecting local geopolitical considerations as well as the broader geoeconomic landscape, is critical to ensuring transaction certainty and ultimately protecting value.”
The Global Private M&A Guide draws on the experience of Baker McKenzie’s team of more than 2,500 deal lawyers across 45 jurisdictions, who advise many of the world’s leading corporates, private equity sponsors and financial institutions on their most complex transactions.
The Guide is available as an interactive online resource enabling users to filter and compare information by jurisdiction or topic, as well as explore individual jurisdictions in depth.
The newly released Baker McKenzie Global Private M&A Guide 2026 provides a comprehensive overview of the key legal and regulatory frameworks affecting private M&A transactions in nearly 40 jurisdictions. The Guide follows the full lifecycle of a transaction — from deal strategy and due diligence to structuring, financing, signing and closing — offering practical insight for navigating today’s cross border transactions.
Jannan Crozier, Global Head of M&A at Baker McKenzie, commented:
“While dealmaking conditions remain challenging, we are seeing renewed momentum driven by strategic necessity, capital redeployment and evolving global trade and investment patterns. Businesses are adapting by pursuing more complex, cross border transactions and by reassessing where and how they invest. In this environment, having a clear view of regulatory risk and local market requirements is essential to executing deals successfully.”
Reflecting the changing geopolitical landscape, the 2026 edition places particular emphasis on deal regulation, including merger control, foreign investment review and other regulatory regimes that are now central considerations in transaction planning. The Guide also addresses key tax structuring considerations, employment law obligations and anti bribery risks that may materially impact deal outcomes.
Sunny Mann, Global Chair of Baker McKenzie, added:
"Geopolitical tension, national security considerations, economic nationalism, and regulatory fragmentation increasingly wield significant influence over how and where deals are done. As geopolitical volatility expedites the emergence of new trade and investment corridors, they bring with them new opportunities that dealmakers can explore. At the same time, they must navigate more complex combinations of regulatory scrutiny, enforcement activity and cross border dispute risks. Early integrated risk assessment across jurisdictions, reflecting local geopolitical considerations as well as the broader geoeconomic landscape, is critical to ensuring transaction certainty and ultimately protecting value.”
The Global Private M&A Guide draws on the experience of Baker McKenzie’s team of more than 2,500 deal lawyers across 45 jurisdictions, who advise many of the world’s leading corporates, private equity sponsors and financial institutions on their most complex transactions.
The Guide is available as an interactive online resource enabling users to filter and compare information by jurisdiction or topic, as well as explore individual jurisdictions in depth.
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