The Bloomberg Law 2023 series previews the themes and topics that our legal analysts will be watching closely in 2023. Our Transactional analyses explore the trends and forces shaping key markets of interest in the year ahead.

As we approach 2023, the mergers and acquisitions market continues to be described as “slow” and “uncertain,” and those trends are likely to continue into the new year.

Despite this outlook, the 2023 deal forecast may not be as dreary as some predict. M&A activity in 2021 reached historic levels, and it’s hard to beat records year after year. So 2023—even if slower than 2022—could represent a return to normal in the M&A market.