Our awards process begins with the release of financial advisory and legal advisory shortlists in October. These shortlists are based on Mergermarket league table rankings, and include the top 3 firms by overall value and top 3 by overall volume for the period 1 October 2019 to 30 September 2020.

We will provide the panel with the following M&A data during the judging process:

• Your league table ranking by both value and volume for the category
• The overall deal count and total transaction value for the firm for the category

Your pitch needs to tell the story behind these numbers.

The judges want to know why you deserve to win. An ideal pitch will show how you added value to deal processes, supported clients and offered creative solutions to complex situations.

Your pitch may choose to highlight your successes across a number of different deals. All corporate and private equity transactions are captured by our shortlisting process and mandates to any party on the deal are valid – buyer, seller or target. Explain why these deals were so important and what you did as an adviser to get them across the line.

Sometimes, one deal says it all. If you worked on a landmark transaction and that single deal tells the story of your year, then make clear you have selected one example to highlight. The judges look for the direct contribution your firm made to the process, especially if you were a lead adviser.

What the judges are asked to ignore:

• Any reference to awards or rankings not published by Mergermarket or Dealogic
• Deals that don’t meet criteria for inclusion in Mergermarket’s M&A deals database
• Financing or underwriting on deals where you had no M&A mandate
• Legal advice offered to financial advisers

Some other useful notes:

• The pitches are treated as confidential documents. However, please clearly mark any previously undisclosed information as “confidential”.
• There’s no need for a presentation, illustrations or pitchbooks; just 300 words will do fine.
• The mid-market prize includes deals from €30m to €1bn in value.
• The European M&A Financial and Legal Advisor prizes are for deals over €5bn.

Deadline day is Thursday 26th November 2020.

And don’t forget…if you make a pitch, you’re in with a chance of winning. Subscribe for updates and we’ll keep you posted. Best of luck!

Clare Hope Registration Acuris