Selling your business, acquiring a target, or raising growth-equity in New York? Manhattan is the U.S. capital of M&A. The firms below structure middle-market and Am Law 100 deals every week — from $5M asset purchases to multi-billion-dollar public-company takeovers. Pick the firm whose typical deal size matches your transaction.
Updated April 11, 2026
New York City businesses call M&A counsel for four reasons: you have signed (or are about to sign) a letter of intent to sell the company; you have identified a target and need a buy-side team; a strategic acquirer or private-equity firm has approached your board with an unsolicited offer; or you are raising growth capital in a deal big enough to feel like a partial sale (Series C or later, recapitalization, secondary sales). The right NYC M&A firm is the one whose typical deal size matches your transaction and whose industry experience matches your sector.
Manhattan's M&A market splits into two clear tiers. The top tier — Wachtell, Sullivan & Cromwell, Cravath, Paul Weiss, Skadden, Davis Polk, Simpson Thacher — handles the largest, most complex, and most contested deals. Hostile takeovers, public-company mergers, mega-cap private equity, regulated-industry combinations. Their billing rates are the highest in the country and they are worth it when the deal is large enough that even a small drafting error costs nine figures.
The middle market — Otterbourg, Lowenstein Sandler, Pillsbury, McDermott Will & Emery, Goodwin Procter, Hughes Hubbard, Loeb & Loeb, Olshan Frome Wolosky — runs $25M-$500M deals every week and at substantially better economics. Many founder-led tech, healthcare, consumer, and services companies do best at this tier. Local NY business firms like Rosenberg Fortuna & Laitman handle smaller asset deals and family-owned business sales economically.
Critical early decisions: stock deal vs asset deal; cash vs stock vs hybrid consideration; reps and warranties insurance vs traditional indemnity; HSR antitrust filing and timing; CFIUS review for any foreign acquirer; tax structure (338(h)(10) elections, F-reorgs, rollover equity). Get NY M&A counsel engaged at the LOI stage, not after. The economic structure of the deal is hardest to change once both sides have signed the term sheet.
Park Avenue commercial firm founded 1909. Middle-market M&A, private equity transactions, secured-lending and financing for acquisitions, and post-closing dispute work. Chambers USA ranked.
AV Preeminent-rated NY-area business law firm since 1992. Lower middle-market M&A, owner-managed business sales, asset and stock purchases, earnouts, and post-closing earnout disputes. Practical economics for $5M-$50M transactions.
The most recognized name in U.S. M&A. Hostile and friendly public-company takeovers, mega-cap private equity, shareholder activism defense, and contested transactions. Standard for deals north of $1B.
Founded 1879. Regularly retained by leading multinationals for high-stakes domestic and cross-border M&A. Strong financial services, energy, and technology sector experience.
Deep bench handling high-value, complex transactions for Fortune 100 clients. Particularly strong on large public-company combinations, cross-border deals, and integrated M&A with capital markets work.
Lower middle market ($5M-$25M deals). Buy-side legal fees of $50,000-$200,000, sell-side $40,000-$150,000. Often handled at fixed or capped fees by local NY business firms.
Middle market ($25M-$250M deals). Buy-side $250,000-$900,000, sell-side $200,000-$700,000. Hourly billing is standard, with budget caps for known scope items. Otterbourg, Lowenstein, and similar mid-market NY firms are the typical economics here.
Large-cap ($250M-$1B deals). Buy-side $1M-$3.5M, sell-side $800,000-$2.5M. Pillsbury, Goodwin Procter, McDermott, and similar firms compete with the top tier here.
Mega-cap and public company ($1B+). Wachtell, Sullivan & Cromwell, Cravath, Paul Weiss, Skadden, Davis Polk, Simpson Thacher rates. $3M-$15M+ per side is normal. RWI broker fees and HSR filing fees are additional.
Add-ons. Reps and warranties insurance premium: 2.5-4.5% of policy limits. HSR filing fee: $30,000-$280,000 depending on deal size. CFIUS filing fee: tiered, up to $300,000 for filings requiring full review.
LOI signed: typically 2-4 weeks of pre-LOI negotiation, then exclusivity and definitive-agreement drafting begins.
Due diligence: 3-8 weeks in parallel with definitive agreement drafting. Quality-of-earnings, IP, employment, tax, environmental, and regulatory diligence run on separate workstreams.
Definitive agreements drafted, negotiated, signed: 3-6 weeks from LOI for a clean middle-market deal. Longer for complex carve-outs, multi-jurisdictional deals, or RWI-driven negotiations.
Regulatory clearance: HSR 30-day waiting period (with possible second request). CFIUS reviews can extend an additional 45-90 days. Sector-specific approvals (banking, insurance, telecom, energy) can extend 3-9 months.
Closing to integration: closing usually happens 1-7 days after regulatory clearance and satisfaction of closing conditions. Most modern closings are remote signings via DocuSign or comparable.
Tell us briefly about the deal. We route a confidential request to the best-fit NYC firm in our directory.