On Sept. 23, the deals and dealmakers shaping the Deal Economy will be celebrated in the latest installment of The Deal Awards. In line with its mission of providing forward-looking intelligence across activism, mergers, acquisitions, private equity and restructuring, the Awards seek to recognize and celebrate the advisers, professionals, firms and banks driving the market forward.

To capture the wealth of talent and achievements across markets over the past year, we have made some changes from our 2020 Awards. To reflect the growth of these areas, we have added new categories to identify exceptional dealmakers in the restructuring and financial technology spaces.

We have also merged our Middle Market and Large Cap award ceremonies to bring together the cream of the dealmaking crop under one program.

This document will provide an outline of the award categories, as well as the criteria and methodology used to decide the shortlists and winners. It will also give you all the supplementary information you’ll need to participate.

Michael Brown, Co-Editor, The Deal

Jamie Rayat, Editor, Awards Research, Euromoney Institutional Investor

How to get involved

Firms are invited to submit their nominations in as many categories as they see fit. Details of categories and our research methodology can be found in the next section. To be considered, submissions must be made by June 11. All submissions must be uploaded through our dedicated awards portal with no exceptions.

Key dates

• June 11 – Submission deadline
• July 27 – Shortlist announced
• Sept. 23 – Winners announced

Criteria

• All deals under consideration must have been announced or completed between Jan. 1, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2020
• Deals must involve at least one party based in the U.S. (buyer, seller or target)
• Closed deals will be favored over announced or incomplete transactions
• For the Dealmaker categories, individuals should show a reasonable scope of work in a given industry or specialty and have a recent resume of successful deals, based on the parameters above

AWARDS CATEGORIES

TOP AWARDS

To ensure we recognize a suitable range of market participants, each of the following categories will award winners in both Large Cap and Middle Market segments. Middle Market deals are those valued at under $500 million, and Large Cap deals are transactions worth $500 million or more. The submission form will allow you to clearly indicate which segment you are submitting for.

Deal of the Year

The most exemplary M&A transaction of the year, including public, private and sponsor-led transactions. The editorial team will look for landmark deals that were first movers in their markets, overcame significant adversity or set the template for future transactions. Deciding factors may include complex cross-border components, an innovative structure or a deal that results in exceptional commercial success (such as a return for investors or successful integration of business units and corporate structures).

Dealmaker of the Year

Awarded to the leading deal adviser (lawyer or banker) based on both the quality and volume of transactions as well as breadth of expertise in dealmaking. They may have used creative thinking, good judgment or deployed resources efficiently to ensure a deal’s success.

Most Innovative Deal of the Year

The deal that most significantly transformed a company or industry. This deal may have, more than any other in the marketplace, shown a commitment to innovation through investing in particularly game-changing technology, or using creative ways of structuring a deal. Not predicated on size of transaction or sector.

Public Relations Firm 

The most exemplary public relations firm advising corporate clients through the M&A process. Successful nominees may have defined and promoted the winning messages across the appropriate media channels (i.e., what was published, how the information was presented and what mediums it was presented through) against tough challenges.

SPECIALTY AWARDS

The following categories will award winners in both Large Cap and Middle Market segments.

Private Equity Deal of the Year

The most outstanding sale or acquisition of a company by a private equity firm (at least one party must be based in the U.S.). Not predicated solely on return on investment.

Private Equity Dealmaker of the Year

The leading adviser involved in private equity deal activity. Number of transactions as well as complexity and scope of deals will be considered, though neither is the sole factor.

Restructuring Deal of the Year

The most exemplary advisory team providing guidance to debtor, creditors and/or other parties during in- or out-of-court restructuring process. Will include advisers on both sides of transactions.

Debtor Counsel of the Year – Law Firm

The most exemplary law firm providing guidance to debtors during in-court restructuring processes.

Debtor Counsel of the Year – Lawyer

The most exemplary lawyer providing guidance to debtors during in-court restructuring processes.

Financial Adviser of the Year (Restructuring)

The most exemplary investment bank or restructuring adviser providing financial guidance to debtors during in- or out-of-court restructuring processes.

SPECIALTY AWARDS – Large Cap only

The following two categories will consider Large Cap deals only. Please do not make a submission for these two categories based on work during deals valued at less than $500 million.

Cross-Border Deal of the Year

The most exemplary deal involving one U.S.-based party and one party based outside of the U.S. It may have successfully overcome logistical, legal or cultural barriers between jurisdictions.

Activist Defense Adviser of the Year

The most exemplary adviser to corporations during an activist campaign. The campaign must be launched during our nomination period and the target company must be listed on a U.S. exchange.

SECTOR AWARDS

The following categories will award winners in both Large Cap and Middle Market segments across the following sectors:

• Consumer, Retail, Food & Beverage
• Energy & Industrials
• Financial Services
• Healthcare, Pharma & Biotech
• Technology, Media & Telecom
• Financial Technology (FinTech) (Deal of the Year and Law Firm of the Year only)

The submission form will allow you to clearly indicate which segment and market sector you are submitting for.

Deal of the Year

The most exemplary M&A transaction of the year including public, private and sponsor-led transactions, occurring in one of the above sectors. The deal may have demonstrated evidence of being a landmark, market-first or template for future transactions. It may also have included a cross-border component, innovative structure and provided immediate or imminent success (such as a return for investors or successful integration of business units and corporate structures).

Law Firm of the Year

The law firm that consistently guided on relevant black-letter law and gave the practical advice needed by its clients in one of the above sectors. The firm may also have come up with an innovative solution to a complex legal problem during the course of a transaction or helped set a legal or business precedent.

Investment Bank of the Year

The investment bank that provided guidance in terms of the structure and facilitation of a deal to make it go as smoothly as possible. The bank may have utilized innovative solutions or overcome unexpected complexities in the course of its work.

Dealmaker of the Year

Awarded to the leading deal adviser (lawyer or banker) based on both quality and volume of transactions as well as breadth of expertise in dealmaking. They may have used creative thinking, good judgment and deployed resources efficiently to ensure a deal is successfully executed.                                   

SUBMISSION FORMS

Individual categories

Team categories

Deal categories

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What do I need to do to nominate?

Please submit all nominations through the portal.

How do you choose the shortlists and winners?

The final decisions are made by The Deal’s editorial and data research teams and takes into account peer submissions, corporate entries and staff nominations.

Beyond the submission form, will you require any further information from me?

The Deal’s research teams may reach out for more information and may speak with professionals involved in the industries or transactions pertinent to a particular category as part of the research and selection process.

Can I have an extension to the above deadline?

No, the submission deadline is final, and we cannot accommodate submissions after this date.

What will you do with the information I submit?

The information will be used to inform the nominations and, ultimately, the winners of The Deal Awards. The information may also be used in supplemental awards presentations and content.

Can I suggest a new category?

We will be more than happy to speak to you about potential new categories; please contact Editor for Awards Research Jamie Rayat ([email protected]).

I still have questions, can I speak to someone? 

Please contact Editor for Awards Research Jamie Rayat ([email protected]).