The Deal
The Deal podcast network brings The Deal’s award winning coverage in M&A, activist investing, private equity and restructuring to your airwaves. With a suite of offerings, including Activist Investing Today (hosted by Senior Editor Ronald Orol), Drinks With The Deal (hosted by Senior Writer David Marcus), Behind The Buyouts (hosted by Senior Reporters Steve Gelsi, Nikitha Sattiraju and Chris Nolter) and Fresh Start (hosted by Senior Reporter Stephanie Gleason), The Deal’s podcast network is your go-to source for timely financial news and perspective.
Episodes
298 episodes
Drinks With The Deal: Fried Frank’s Luftglass Talks About Mentors, Delaware Law
Scott Luftglass, an M&A litigator and vice chairman of Fried Frank, talks about mentorship, how he developed a specialty in Delaware corporate litigation and the proposed changes to the state's corporate law.
•
35:04
Drinks With The Deal: Lazard's McMaster Talks Corporate Splits, Approach to Banking
Mark McMaster, the global head of M&A at Lazard, discusses his career as a banker and his work with several companies that have created significant value by breaking themselves up.
•
27:59
Activist Investing Today: Mansouri on 'Defensive Refreshes,' Independent Boards
Richard Mansouri, who recently joined Arkhouse, discusses the phenomenon of companies replacing problem directors only when activists show up and why board members often just aren't independent.
•
19:39
Drinks With The Deal: Hunton's Danon Talks Firm Culture, Associate Goals
Sam Danon, the managing partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth, talks about the importance of firm culture, what associates want out of a law firm and how building his litigation practice helped him establish credibility as a manager.
•
29:33
Behind the Buyouts: Searchlight's Frey Unpacks Firm's Fiber Strategy
Searchlight Capital partner Andrew Frey discusses the firm's investment in Ziply, its preference for backing existing telephone companies over greenfield fiber and trends in telecom deals.
•
31:18
Behind the Buyouts: American Securities' Wolff on Industrials Rebound
American Securities president and managing director Scott Wolff dives into the firm's approach to investments and value creation, its specialty chemicals platforms and the industrial sector's slow recovery.
•
31:04
Activist Investing Today: Paul Weiss' Lu Talks Dual-Class, M&A, Multiple Insurgents
Carmen Lu, a partner focused on activism defense at Paul Weiss, discusses why one should never assume multiclass share companies are 'bulletproof' from activists, and she offers views on M&A and tech activism, plus white squire defenses.
•
16:41
Drinks With The Deal: Cleary's Gerstenzang Talks AI's Effect on Legal Practice
Michael Gerstenzang, managing partner at Cleary Gottlieb, believes generative AI will fundamentally change the practice of law. Our conversation with Michael is the second in a four-podcast miniseries with law firm leaders.
•
26:29
Behind The Buyouts: Brightstar's Weinberg on Generational Wealth Transfer
Brightstar founder and CEO Andrew Weinberg discusses the firm's investment strategy for family- and founder-owned businesses and its focus on resilient industry verticals.
•
31:15
Drinks With The Deal: Davis Polk's Barr Discusses Compensation, Comcast
Neil Barr, chair and managing partner of Davis Polk, talks about the logic behind the firm's 2020 change from lockstep compensation, his work for Comcast and why being a tax lawyer helped prepare him to run his firm. Our conversation with Neil ...
•
30:15
Behind the Buyouts: FEP's Esposito on Family-Owned Franchise Opportunities
Franchise Equity Partners founder and co-managing partner Michael Esposito dives into the investment firm's growth since its launch in 2021; its investments in restaurants, residential services and the auto aftermarket; and M&A expectations...
•
39:06
Drinks With The Deal: Freshfields' Murti Talks About Associate Years, Changing Firms
Sanjay Murti, an M&A partner at Freshfields in New York, discusses how he approached being an associate, the grueling year before making partner and his decision to lateral to Freshfields from Cravath.
•
31:37
Activist Investing Today: Anson's Gupta Talks TMT Sector Focus
Sagar Gupta, who oversees Anson Fund's activism activities, discusses why sector specialization is vital for an activist, and he also talks about recent campaigns at Twilio, Globalstar and Lionsgate.
•
25:31
Drinks With The Deal: Kramer Levin's Bessonette on Practice Mix, Herbert Smith Merger
John Bessonette, a partner at Kramer Levin in New York, talks about how he developed a practice that includes both M&A and restructuring and his firm's pending merger with Herbert Smith Freehills.
•
24:32
Activist Investing Today: KPMG's Brown on ESG Activism, M&A, Trump
Stephen Brown, senior adviser and managing director at KPMGa's Board Leadership Center, covers a number of topics, including why he thinks there could be unintended consequences to new limits on activist shareholder proposals.
•
25:48
Drinks With The Deal: Cravath's Perkins Discusses Military Service in Afghanistan
Dave Perkins, the co-head of PE at Cravath, talks about being called up from the U.S. Army Reserve to serve in Afghanistan as a young associate and how he approached building a PE practice at his law firm.
•
24:08
Drinks With The Deal: Morgan Lewis' Suh on Father's Influence on Career
Aaron Suh, an M&A and PE partner at Morgan Lewis and managing partner of the firm's Philadelphia office, discusses how he approached changing firms and cities and the deep influence his father has had on his approach to his career.
•
26:47
Behind the Buyouts: Capstone's Ferrara on M&A Rebound
Founder and president John Ferrara dives into the middle market investment bank's growth over two decades and his expectations for dealmaking in 2025.
•
34:31
Drinks With The Deal: Joel Friedlander Discusses Delaware Plaintiffs Practice
Joel Friedlander talks about how he came to focus on plaintiff-side work in the Delaware courts and the enjoyment he gets from writing about and teaching law as well as practicing it.
•
21:36
Activist Investing Today: Gonzalez-Sussman on Why ‘Gamesmanship’ Fails
Corporate defender and Skadden partner Elizabeth Gonzalez-Sussman discusses what motivated her decision to move away from defending activists, as well as tactics that backfire, settlement subcommittee pros and cons and governance vulnerabilitie...
•
21:01
Behind the Buyouts: Houlihan's Pund on Outdoor, Active Lifestyle Rebound
Houlihan Lokey global head of outdoor, active lifestyle and tactical industries Nathan Pund discusses his expectations for M&A in the categories in 2025.
•
32:17
Drinks With The Deal: King & Spalding’s Townsend Talks Business Development
Keith Townsend, an M&A partner at King & Spalding and co-head of its corporate practice, discussed how he developed business development skills as a young partner and how his firm thinks about its practice mix.
•
27:22
Activist Investing Today: Inex's Friberg Talks Activists, Expert Networks
Expert network platform Inex One owner Max Friberg discusses why activists and others retain expert networks ahead of insurgency campaigns.
•
19:31
