The Deal by S&P Global

Shaziah Singh, a corporate partner at Nixon Peabody, discusses telling her parents she was going to become a lawyer and how she manages remote work.  

Cascadia Capital managing director George Sent discussed food and beverage dealmaking, ingredient trends and family-owned businesses.

Amanda Zablocki, co-leader of the healthcare practice at Sheppard, became a lawyer because of the joy her father got from legal practice and specialized in healthcare out of a sense of personal mission.  

Goodwin Procter partner Leonard Wood discusses activism trends in REITs and biotech and evolving settlement dynamics.  

Skadden's Todd Freed discusses what he learned from working in his family's car dealership, how he came to focus on insurance M&A and pivotal deals he's handled.

Huntington Bank head of capital markets Chris Wood discusses its growth strategy, M&A trends and private equity dynamics.

Sidley Austin's Mehdi Khodadad discusses how he pivoted to advising private equity clients as an associate and what he enjoys about the job. 

Pennant founder and CEO Ryan Nowicki Stewart discusses AI-driven proxy voting, activism intelligence and market disruption.

Cooley CEO Rachel Proffitt discusses her approach to leadership, talent management and lawyers' use of AI.

CCMP Growth Advisors co-managing partner Mark McFadden discusses the firm's research-driven investing in the consumer and industrial markets.

Sodali executives Aneliya Crawford and Bill Dooley discuss activist trends, investor behavior and AI-driven voting.

Unity Partners head of business development Callie Blankenau discusses lower middle market investing and sourcing strategies.

Mark Martin, managing director and global head of pharma services and technology at Houlihan Lokey, discusses M&A momentum and investor sentiment in pharma services.

Keith Fullenweider, chair of Vinson & Elkins, discusses the influence his father had on his career, how he built a PE practice, what he looks for in lateral hires and how he manages challenging conversations. 

Sullivan & Cromwell partner Patrick Gadson discusses activism in banking and the shifting role of proxy advisers. 

Raghu Velamati, senior managing director at Macquarie Capital, discusses private equity's evolving approach to the education sector across lifelong learning, workforce training and school safety.

Mike Hollander, managing director at GTCR, discusses the firm's growth-oriented investment strategy and key deals across financial services and technology.

Akin PE partner Amy Wollensack discusses how a stint in nursing before law school helped her as a young lawyer and talks about talent management and AI.

Hivest Capital Partners senior adviser Gregory Molin discusses the firm's value investing strategy and its cross-border approach to lower middle market M&A.

Mahvesh Qureshi, an M&A partner at Hogan Lovells and member of the firm's global board, discusses the social skills that have helped her succeed as a lawyer and law firm manager. 

Sebastian Alsheimer, who recently joined Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton as a partner and head of shareholder engagement, discussed AI in proxy voting, white squire strategies and M&A activism trends.

Shaun Levor of Greenberg Traurig discusses building a legal career in New York after growing up in South Africa and how his father, a trial lawyer, has influenced his approach to practice.

Jon Solorzano, a partner at Vinson & Elkins, discusses how a sweeping White House executive order could drive changes to proxy advisers and shareholder proposals.

Vertex head of corporate development Nigel Rughani discusses dealmaking, sourcing and integration strategy on the buy side.

Dechert co-chair and PE and M&A partner Mark Thierfelder talks about embracing the intense nature of corporate practice, why lateral hiring is critical for his firm and his affinity for hobbies that force him to forget about work.