Lisa Smith quoted: Smith said the increased focus on alignment between sector and geography is particularly noticeable with emerging tech hubs, like Seattle, Boston, Texas and Salt Lake City.

Lisa Smith is quoted: Lisa Smith, a principal at Washington, D.C.-based Fairfax Associates, estimated that maybe one out of 10, or one out of every 15 combination discussions actually advances to the merger stage. The top reason so many don’t go further? Conflicts, she said.

Lisa Smith is quoted: Consultant Lisa Smith of Fairfax Associates says new leaders taking over in 2021 should focus on their initiatives, despite the pandemic, because ‘If they were important before, they are still important.”

Lisa Smith and Fairfax merger data is quoted: “The interest in combinations is extremely high, and we’ve already, just in the last week, gotten inquiries from multiple firms trying to look at their options and trying to figure out strategy and merger options for the year,” she said.

Lisa Smith is quoted: “For Midwestern firms, consolidating in the region gives them a good platform across multiple states, where there are often business ties, so it helps …

Lisa Smith is quoted: Although some merger deals have been announced and executed virtually in 2020, Smith expressed doubt that a major merger between two large firms could be pulled off without more in-person contact than is currently feasible.

Lisa Smith is quoted: Smith, of Fairfax, also said trends within a given year are sometimes a more helpful indicator about the market’s health, as the comparisons between different quarters of different years can “over-amplify uneven patterns.”

Lisa Smith quoted: Firms are keenly focused on the value of the cybersecurity and private practice because they understand how valuable it is to clients, said Lisa Smith, a firm consultant at Fairfax Associates in Washington, D.C. Smith said when she talks to her law firm clients about their strategic goals, the practice is frequently at the top of their wish list.