[Major Transactions Return in 2025: Wall Street Gears Up for a New Wave of M&A Next Year] Jin10 Data, December 31 – According to LSEG data, this year saw a record-breaking 68 transactions globally valued at $10 billion or more, pushing the average annual transaction size to a new high of nearly $227 million. Ivan Farman, Co-Head of Global M&A at Bank of America, stated: 'Large-scale transactions are driving the market, which is a sign of confidence from CEOs and boards.' He and his team anticipate this momentum will continue into 2026 and beyond, spanning various industries. Another sign of an impending boom is the continued investment in recruitment by banks and law firms, ranging from Wells Fargo and Lazard to Paul Weiss and Kirkland & Ellis. Looking ahead to next year, top law firm Wachtell Lipton’s attorneys are focusing on trends such as more spin-offs, increased M&A activity in the cryptocurrency sector, and larger capital inflows from sovereign wealth funds, particularly from the Middle East. The Trump administration’s more lenient enforcement approach to mergers has also been a contributing factor to the growth in transactions.