Randi Mason Quoted on M&A Deal Activity Amid Tariff Uncertainty

Partner Randi Mason, co-chair of Morrison Cohen’s Corporate Practice, was recently quoted in Mergers & Acquisitions and PitchBook, offering insights into how trade tensions and tariff policies are impacting the M&A landscape.

Although the U.S. and China agreed to a 90-day pause on their escalating reciprocal tariffs – a move that buoyed financial markets and triggered a global stock rally, Randi observed that the private equity industry remains cautious in its response to the temporary truce.

She told PitchBook that while the announcement brought some relief and a potential signal of progress, it’s not enough to spark immediate action from PE firms yet. “It is only a 90-day pause,” she said. “And the private markets tend to be slower to react than the public markets.”

For deal activity to pick back up, Randi emphasized the need for broader and more permanent trade resolutions. “There needs to be enough tariff deals across the board ... to give them the confidence that those extremely high tariffs are just negotiating tools so they can start to make predictions on pricing, margins and EBITDA,” she said.

In Mergers & Acquisitions, Randi reiterated that the ongoing tariff volatility continues to weigh heavily on overall market sentiment. “As one of my clients said, ‘we’re at a point of maximum uncertainty.’ It’s simply impossible to price deals when you don’t know if the cost of goods is X or 2.25X.”

Randi also highlighted how certain sectors are being impacted differently. “Any business that manufactures or sources a large portion of its materials or inventory domestically will be an obvious acquisition target,” she said, noting continued momentum in sectors like AI where investors are still determining market leaders. Conversely, deal flow in industries that rely heavily on foreign imports, particularly from China, is likely to remain sluggish.

“Until there’s more clarity, people won’t transact,” Randi stated.

Read the Mergers & Acquisitions article here.

Read the Pitchbook article here.