Sidley Austin LLP has been recognized as a finalist for “Deal of the Year” at the D CEO Mergers & Acquisitions Awards 2026, for its function advising on one of the largest U.S. Private equity investments in an Indian-founded healthcare technology company. The transaction, valued at over $1 billion, was also identified by Bloomberg as the largest M&A deal in India during the first half of 2025.
The deal underscores the increasing integration of India’s healthcare IT sector into the global market, and the rising demand for technology-driven business process and revenue cycle management solutions for U.S. Healthcare providers, often delivered from offshore locations. Sidley’s team, led by partners Scott Parel, Aaron J. Rigby, and Parthiv Rishi, navigated complex international regulations and sector-specific challenges to finalize the agreement.
Scott Parel, a partner based in Sidley’s Dallas office, has also been nominated for “Attorney of the Year” at the awards ceremony. This recognition follows a year of significant activity for Sidley in the M&A space. In February 2026, the firm announced it had represented Arsenal Capital Partners and MaxHealth in the sale of MaxHealth to CenterWell. Sidley advised New Catalyst in a strategic partnership with Ferghana Investment Partners earlier that month.
The D CEO Mergers & Acquisitions Awards are an annual event recognizing exceptional financial transactions and the legal professionals who facilitate them. Sidley’s nomination for “Deal of the Year” comes as the firm continues to demonstrate strength in cross-border transactions and the healthcare technology sector.
Beyond the D CEO awards, Sidley was recently ranked No. 1 for legal company-side advice in the Bloomberg Global Activism League Tables for 2025, both in North America and globally. Bloomberg credited Sidley with a record 51 campaigns, surpassing the next-ranked firm by 20 campaigns. This marks the sixth consecutive year Sidley has held the top position in the Bloomberg rankings. The firm also maintains a Band 1 ranking in Chambers USA for Corporate/M&A: Takeover Defense, and a Tier 1 ranking in Legal 500 US for Shareholder Activism – Advice to Boards.
In a separate development, Mike Schmidtberger, former executive committee chair of Sidley Austin, has joined Norm Law LLP, an AI-native law firm, as chairman, partner, and head of the investment funds and regulatory practice. Schmidtberger’s move reflects a growing trend of legal professionals transitioning to firms leveraging artificial intelligence in legal services. Norm Law, backed by investments from Blackstone and other firms, aims to offer “AI-native legal services” where AI agents draft initial work products under attorney supervision.
