What can a Paralympic gold medalist teach the M&A world about dealmaking? Everything.In this powerful episode, we bring you inside the 2024 Future of Dealmaking Summit for an unforgettable Fireside Chat featuring Michael “Mikey” Brannigan, a Paralympic Games gold medalist, and his longtime coach Sonja Robinson, in conversation with security and intelligence leader Robert J. Strang.Diagnosed with autism at age 3 and competing as a T20 athlete, Mikey defied the odds to reach the top of the Paralympic podium. But his story isn’t just about athletic excellence—it’s about overcoming adversity, navigating mental roadblocks, and the life-changing power of mentorship.From the training track to the boardroom, this episode reveals how the principles of grit, resilience, determination, and guided growth apply to more than sports—they're the core of dealmaking success. So, whether you're leading a billion-dollar merger or facing a career crossroads, Mikey’s story will inspire you to reframe setbacks as fuel for your greatest wins.Listen now and discover how true champions are made—on the field and in business.Attention M&A Professionals and Dealmakers! The M&A Advisor warmly invites you to join our industry experts and thought leaders at the 2025 Leadership in Dealmaking Summit on September 15 & 16 at the heart of vibrant New York, City. Hurry and register now! Click here:https://events.maadvisor.com/2025LeadershipInDealmakingSummitDo you want to know more about The M&A Advisor? Please visit us at https://maadvisor.comLove our podcasts? Subscribe to our M&A Advisor Podcast in Spotify, Apple Podcast, and YouTube.Finally, subscribe to our email newsletter- M&A ALERTS by clicking the link- https://maadvisor.com/maalerts/subscribeTill next time, stay tuned and happy dealing

After years of market turbulence, all signs point to a major rebound in M&A. But is it real—or just wishful thinking?Welcome back to this fireside chat from the Deal Forum at the 2024 Future of Dealmaking Summit, held on November 24–25 in New York City. This insightful conversation between Mitch Berlin, Vice Chair - EY Americas Strategy and Transactions, in conversation with Katie Johnson, Transaction Partner at EY, has been repurposed into a podcast episode. The insights shared in their discussion continue to resonate powerfully in 2025, offering timely and enduring guidance for forward-thinking professionals in M&A, restructuring, and corporate finance.In this episode, Katie Johnson sits down with Mitch Berlin to unpack the real story behind the 2025 M&A surge. From regulatory shifts and falling interest rates to PE dry powder and strategic divestitures, we dive deep into the forces reshaping the deal landscape.Get insider insights on:• Why CEOs and private equity firms are eyeing 2025 for bold moves• How regulatory trends may fast-track—or stall—big deals• What sectors (tech, life sciences, oil & gas, consumer) are heating up• The silent drivers behind strategic M&A and venture building• How geopolitical uncertainty is reshaping risk models• What smart companies are doing now to get aheadOne episode. Game-changing insights. Your 2025 strategy starts here.Attention M&A Professionals and Dealmakers! The M&A Advisor warmly invites you to join our industry experts and thought leaders at the 2025 Leadership in Dealmaking Summit on September 15 & 16 at the heart of vibrant New York, City. Hurry and register now! Click here:https://events.maadvisor.com/2025LeadershipInDealmakingSummitDo you want to know more about The M&A Advisor? Please visit us at https://maadvisor.comLove our podcasts? Subscribe to our M&A Advisor Podcast in Spotify, Apple Podcast, and YouTube.Finally, subscribe to our email newsletter by clicking the link- https://maadvisor.com/maalerts/subscribeTill next time, stay tuned and happy dealing!

What do a failing Mediterranean restaurant chain, Rupert Murdoch’s media empire, and a Netflix-for-sports company have in common? Billion-dollar strategy, high-stakes decisions, and unexpected winners. This episode dives into the real-world deal drama behind massive media moves and distressed asset turnarounds—with war stories you won't forget.Welcome back to this fireside chat from the Deal Forum at the 2025 Distressed Investing Summit, held on March 24–25 in New York City. This insightful conversation between R. Brandon Sokol, Global Head of Corporate Development and M&A at News Corp, and Tom Goldblatt, Managing Partner at Ravinia Capital, has been repurposed into a podcast episode. We believe the key takeaways from their discussion are both relevant and timeless for discerning professionals in M&A, restructuring, and corporate finance.In this power-packed episode, our thought leaders- R. Brandon Sokol and Tom Goldblatt share the raw, behind-the-scenes playbook of billion-dollar media transactions and fast-paced distressed sales.From News Corp’s strategic divestiture of Foxtel to DAZN, to the surprising auction-day twist that saved Roti Mediterranean Grill, you’ll hear:✅ How billion-dollar deals are structured behind closed doors✅ Why broad vs. focused M&A processes can make or break outcomes✅ Insider tactics from bankruptcy sales and auction strategies✅ Why emotional attachment, market timing, and due diligence matter more than everMiss this episode, miss the edge. M&A pros, dealmakers, investors—this episode is your playbook.Attention M&A Professionals and Dealmakers! The M&A Advisor warmly invites you to join our industry experts and thought leaders at the 2025 Leadership in Dealmaking Summit on September 15 & 16 at the heart of vibrant New York, City. Hurry and register now! Click here:https://events.maadvisor.com/2025LeadershipInDealmakingSummitDo you want to know more about The M&A Advisor? Please visit us at https://maadvisor.comLove our podcasts? Subscribe to our M&A Advisor Podcast in Spotify, Apple Podcast, and YouTube.Finally, subscribe to our email newsletter by clicking the link: https://maadvisor.com/maalerts/subscribeTill next time, stay tuned and happy dealing!

Are tariffs really tanking deals — or are we all just overreacting?Recorded live at the 2025 Distressed Investing Summit in Palm Beach, this powerhouse episode delivers an unfiltered fireside chat between Patrick O’Keefe, Founder and CEO of O’Keefe, and Lorie Beers, Managing Director and Head of Special Situations at Intrepid Investment Bankers. Together, they tackle the timely topic: “PE Boom or Bust? Navigating Private Equity in the New Political Era.”In this candid and thought-provoking conversation, they cut through the noise to unpack how shifting economic policies, rising tariffs, and political uncertainty are reshaping the private equity landscape in today’s volatile market.Whether you're in M&A, private equity, restructuring, or just watching from the sidelines — this conversation is essential listening for anyone trying to make sense of 2025's economic chessboard.Highlights include:• Why private debt is quietly taking over commercial lending• What sectors to avoid (hint: don’t touch consumer products)• The shocking truth behind “healthy” dried fruit • How U.S. education failures threaten onshoring plans• What’s next for Mexico, China, and the future of tradeBold opinions. Real talk. No spin.Tap in — your portfolio will thank you.Subscribe now—this is the restructuring playbook everyone will be talking about.Attention M&A Professionals and Dealmakers! The M&A Advisor warmly invites you to join our industry experts and thought leaders at the 2025 Leadership in Dealmaking Summit on September 15 & 16 at the heart of vibrant New York, City. Hurry and register now! Click here:https://events.maadvisor.com/2025LeadershipInDealmakingSummitDo you want to know more about The M&A Advisor? Please visit us at https://maadvisor.comLove our podcasts? Subscribe to our M&A Advisor Podcast in Spotify, Apple Podcast, and YouTube.Finally, subscribe to our email newsletter by clicking the link- https://maadvisor.com/maalerts/subscribe/.Till next time, stay tuned and happy dealing!

What does it really take to build a post-bankruptcy trust that performs — not just exists? Recorded live at the 2025 Distressed Investing Summit in Palm Beach, this must-hear episode features a powerhouse conversation between Natalie Ramsey, Co-Chair of the Bankruptcy + Reorganizations Group and Partner-in-Charge at Robinson+Cole, and Heather Barlow, Managing Director and Co-Lead at Dundon Advisers.Together, they break down the overlooked, front-end mechanics of trust formation in Chapter 11 cases — the part that defines success before a single dollar is distributed. From strategic drafting, trust structure options, and tax planning, to litigation plays, insurance traps, advisory committees, and maximizing creditor recoveries, this episode offers rare, hard-won insights from the field.Whether you’re a trustee, restructuring professional, legal advisor, or just obsessed with distressed investing — this is the blueprint they don’t teach you in school.Trust structures.Fiduciary flexibility.Asset maximization.Real talk.Tune in now to learn how the smartest professionals build bankruptcy trusts that deliver real results.Attention M&A Professionals and Dealmakers! The M&A Advisor warmly invites you to join our industry experts and thought leaders at the 2025 Leadership in Dealmaking Summit on September 15 & 16 at the heart of vibrant New York, City. Hurry and register now! Click here:https://events.maadvisor.com/2025LeadershipInDealmakingSummitDo you want to know more about The M&A Advisor? Please visit us at https://maadvisor.comLove our podcasts? Subscribe to our M&A Advisor Podcast in Spotify, Apple Podcast, and YouTube.Finally, subscribe to our email newsletter by clicking the link: https://maadvisor.com/maalerts/subscribeTill next time, stay tuned and happy dealing!

Welcome to the fireside chat series of the Deal Forum of the 2024 Future of Dealmaking Summit held on November 19 & 20 at the iconic New York Athletic Club in the heart of New York. For those who missed the event, this riveting podcast episode features a conversation between Roger Aguinaldo, Founder and CEO of The M&A Advisor, and business mogul and former U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross.

What can late 2024 teach us about the long game of global trade and U.S. economic policy? In this episode, former Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross offers a behind-the-scenes look at President Donald Trump's trade strategies—from tariffs to deal-making—and how these decisions reshaped America’s role in the world. More than a snapshot in time, this conversation explores the lasting philosophies and global ripple effects that continue to shape economic policy today.

If you're curious about the intricate world of business, politics, and the art of dealmaking, this episode is for you.

Don't forget to subscribe for more exclusive insights from the world’s most influential business leaders!Attention International Dealmakers and Emerging Leaders!

The M&A Advisor warmly invites you to join Wilbur Ross, and our industry experts at the 2025 Leadership in Dealmaking Summit on September 15 &16 in the heart of New York.Hurry and register now!

Click here.

https://events.maadvisor.com/2025LeadershipInDealmakingSummit

Do you want to know more about The M&A Advisor? Please visit us at https://maadvisor.com

Love our podcasts? Subscribe to our M&A Advisor Podcast in Spotify, Apple Podcast, and YouTube.

Finally, subscribe to our email newsletter by clicking the link:

https://maadvisor.com/maalerts/subscribe

Till next time, stay tuned and happy dealing!

What happens when bankruptcy law, private credit, and global restructuring collide with unstoppable innovation? The result? A candid, insider conversation that pulls back the curtain on how top minds are redefining the rules of modern restructuring.

Recorded live at the 2025 Distressed Investing Summit in Palm Beach, this powerhouse episode features a no-holds-barred fireside chat between Robert D. Drain— Of Counsel, Corporate Restructuring at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, and Former Judge at United States Bankruptcy Court SDNY,—and Evan Hill, Partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, as they unpack bold, creative strategies reshaping the distressed debt and restructuring landscape in a post-Purdue world.

Whether you're a dealmaker, investor, or legal pro, you’ll learn:

∙Why consensual releases are thriving—and how to structure them ∙How private credit is quietly disrupting traditional bankruptcy paths

∙What the Serta Simmons decisions really mean for liability management

∙The rising role of 15 and foreign courts in U.S. restructurings ∙How equity-linked DIPs are changing debtor-in-possession financing forever Smart insights.

Real examples. Actionable takeaways. Subscribe now—this is the restructuring playbook everyone will be talking about.

Attention M&A Professionals and Dealmakers! The M&A Advisor warmly invites you to join our industry experts and thought leaders at the 2025 Leadership in Dealmaking Summit on September 15 & 16 at the heart of vibrant New York, City. Hurry and register now! Click here:

https://events.maadvisor.com/2025LeadershipInDealmakingSummit

Do you want to know more about The M&A Advisor?

Please visit us at https://maadvisor.com

Love our podcasts? Subscribe to our M&A Advisor Podcast in Spotify, Apple Podcast, and YouTube.

Finally, subscribe to our email newsletter by clicking the link- https://maadvisor.com/maalerts/subscribe

Till next time, stay tuned and happy dealing!

Discover how transformative restructuring is reshaping the future of finance, law, and distressed investing. This high-impact masterclass was recorded during the Deal Forum at the 2025 Distressed Investing Summit held last March 25 in Palm Beach, Florida. We're sharing this conversation as a podcast episode for anyone who missed it, wants to pass it along to fellow dealmakers, or simply wants to listen again.

Join legendary dealmakers James H. M. Sprayregen, Vice Chairman at Hilco Global, and Paul Steven Singerman, Co-Chair at Berger Singerman, as they unpack the Outlook for Restructuring Amid a Rapidly Changing Business and Political Environment.In this thought-provoking episode, James Sprayregen shares insider strategies and emerging trends — from the rise of out-of-court solutions and liability management tactics to the private credit boom and the quiet decline of Chapter 11. Packed with unfiltered insights you won’t hear anywhere else, this is essential listening for dealmakers, investors, and restructuring professionals.Hit play and get ready—this episode delivers raw insights, bold takes, and zero fluff.

Attention M&A Professionals and Dealmakers! The M&A Advisor warmly invites you to join our industry experts and thought leaders at the 2025 Leadership in Dealmaking Summit on September 15 & 16 at the heart of vibrant New York, City. Hurry and register now! Click here:

https://events.maadvisor.com/2025LeadershipInDealmakingSummit

Do you want to know more about The M&A Advisor? Please visit us at https://maadvisor.comLove our podcasts? Subscribe to our M&A Advisor Podcast in Spotify, Apple Podcast, and YouTube.

Finally, subscribe to our email newsletter by clicking the link- https://maadvisor.com/maalerts/subscribe

Till next time, stay tuned and happy dealing!