Lower middle market M&A is insane.

In the past month, I’ve been opposite two very different types of counsel on $5–25M deals: 1. An AmLaw 50 firm with an army of attorneys. They move fast. They’re aggressive. Negotiations are sharp and coordinated. If you don’t have a team that can handle the pace and sophistication, you’ll get steamrolled. 2. A local litigation lawyer moonlighting as “the banker’s guy.” He barely knew M&A, and the seller/broker wouldn’t even let him revise documents, only comment on them. The lawyering was slow, off-market, and sometimes nonsensical. If you don’t have patience, respect, and the ability to quietly educate (never in front of their client), the deal will stall for months. That’s the reality of this space. On any given day, you can face a top-tier deal team or a small-town generalist. As an M&A attorney, you need to be equipped for both. The skill set isn’t just legal... it’s adaptability, communication, and mindset. Get that right, and this work can actually be fun.