Business Law section chief quoted in Mergers & Acquisitions
Business Law section chief and Atlanta partner Andrea Farley was quoted in a July 2011 Mergers & Acquisitions article that discussed the regulatory landscape of Wall Street and broader financial markets one year after the passage of the Dodd-Frank Act.
In discussing the impact of the law on how investors will put money to work, Farley said, “Financial reform doesn’t necessarily restrain M&A, but more regulation is time consuming. It distracts firms from making new acquisitions and it will impact them financially.” On the consensus that banks would have by this time consolidated to better deal with the new costs and time associated with complying with Dodd-Frank, Farley commented, “It’s just a matter of time. We may not see Wachovia and Wells Fargo merge again, but there will be opportunities for the banks to come together. It will be easier for a large bank to absorb the costs and the time it takes to comply.”