Private Equity & Transactions 2022

2022 – no ordinary year

For Private Equity and Transactions, 2022 brought with it tempests that continue to rage across many fronts. Geopolitical instability in Europe, rising inflation, interest rate hikes and the potential early stages of recession have all contributed to a decidedly muted deal landscape in 2022, compared to the highs of the previous year.

This was further compounded by the lack of availability of debt and valuations falling from historically high multiples.

Previous ‘hot’ areas for transactions (such as the tech sector and digital assets) were not immune to these headwinds – as investors switched focus from rapid revenue growth to sustainable profitability.

The dynamic IPO trend that defined 2021 fell away with declining public market valuations – sufficiently so that early-stage thinking on P2P opportunities picked up, ready for a time when market conditions allowed these to be actioned.

Our experience

Despite these market conditions, at OC&C there remained a hive of activity. We advised on numerous deals spanning Europe, the U.S. and Asia across our core sectors, Consumer, Retail and Leisure, Technology, Media and B2B Services.

Our Netherlands and Australian offices which joined the integrated OC&C network in 2021 and 2022 respectively were highly active in supporting and bolstering our global transaction practice.

Over the past 5 years, we have advised on deals worth $600bn.

See our latest report for sector insights and a snapshot of our 2022 Private Equity and Transactions activity.