How AI in M&A Actually Works: Inside the Deal Lifecycle
When a major acquisition crosses the desk at firms like Latham & Watkins or Skadden, the volume of work that follows is staggering. Hundreds of contracts need review, financial records demand scrutiny, and regulatory filings must be parsed for risk. What most clients never see is the machinery behind the scenes—the workflows, the technology stacks, and increasingly, the artificial intelligence systems that allow deal teams to move faster without sacrificing thoroughness. Understanding how these systems actually function in practice reveals both the promise and the practical constraints of modern legal tech in high-stakes transactions. The integration of AI in M&A is not a single tool deployed at a single moment. It is a layered ecosystem that touches nearly every phase of the deal lifecycle, from the initial target assessment through post-merger integration oversight. For those of us working inside corporate law practices, the reality is more granular and more iterative than t...