You have an interview for an M&A team, and beyond the usual nerves there is a specific worry: what if they test me on deals and I fumble? M&A interviews do have a distinct flavour on top of the general fit and CV questions, and knowing what that flavour is takes most of the fear away. You are not expected to be a deal expert as a student or junior, but you are expected to show genuine interest in transactions and a basic understanding of how M&A works. Let me show you what an M&A interview tests and how to prepare for it.
Quick answer
An M&A interview tests the usual fit and CV questions plus an M&A-specific layer: basic understanding of what M&A work involves (deals, acquisitions, the deal process, due diligence and drafting), genuine commercial awareness about why companies buy, sell and merge, and a real reason you want M&A specifically. You are not expected to be an expert, but you should understand the basics of a deal, be able to discuss a recent transaction with a view, and show that the detail-heavy, deal-driven nature of M&A appeals to you. Prepare the deal basics, follow M&A news, and be ready to explain why M&A.
What is specific about an M&A interview
On top of the general questions, an M&A interviewer wants to sense that you understand and are drawn to transactional work. M&A lawyers help companies buy, sell and combine businesses, which means the interview probes whether you grasp the commercial logic of deals and the nature of the work: intense, detail-oriented, deadline-driven, and collaborative. So the M&A-specific layer is about commercial understanding and genuine interest in deals, not obscure legal doctrine. Show that you find the world of transactions interesting and that you understand, at a basic level, how a deal comes together.
What an M&A interview tests
- Basic deal understanding: roughly what happens in a deal (due diligence, negotiation, drafting the key documents, conditions, closing) and what a junior M&A lawyer does within it.
- Commercial awareness: why companies acquire, merge or sell (growth, market entry, synergies, consolidation), and the ability to discuss a recent deal with a basic view.
- Why M&A: a genuine reason the deal-driven, detail-heavy work appeals to you, ideally grounded in exposure.
- How you think: as with any legal interview, reasoning clearly through a question matters more than reciting facts.
How to prepare
Focus your extra preparation on the M&A layer. Learn the basics of the deal process and key M&A concepts at a high level so you can speak about them sensibly. Follow M&A and business news for a few weeks before the interview, and prepare one recent deal you can discuss: what happened, why you think the parties did it, and what legal work it involved. Prepare your “why M&A” answer with a genuine reason and any relevant exposure. And be ready for a light commercial or reasoning question, which you should think aloud through rather than trying to give a perfect memorised answer.
Common M&A question themes
Alongside fit and CV questions, expect themes like “Tell me about a recent deal that interested you.” “Why would a company acquire another?” “What do you think M&A lawyers do day to day?” “Why M&A rather than another practice area?” and questions about any transactional exposure on your CV. Prepare these with genuine understanding and commercial curiosity rather than buzzwords.
YLCC ACTION STEP: Pick one recent M&A deal and prepare to talk about it for sixty seconds: what happened, why you think the parties did it, and what legal work it likely involved. That single exercise builds exactly the commercial-awareness muscle an M&A interviewer is checking for and gives you a ready, specific answer.
PLEASE DON’T DO THIS: Please don’t describe M&A as “glamorous and high-profile”; it signals you do not understand the detail-heavy reality of the work. And please don’t fake deep financial or technical knowledge you do not have; a genuine, basic, curious understanding of deals lands far better than jargon you cannot back up. Real interest plus basic understanding is the goal.
FAQs
- What does an M&A interview test? The usual fit and CV questions plus an M&A layer: basic deal understanding, commercial awareness about why companies do deals, and a genuine reason you want M&A.
- Do I need to know finance for an M&A interview? Not deeply as a student or junior. You need basic commercial awareness and an understanding of how deals work, not expert financial knowledge.
- How do I show commercial awareness in an M&A interview? Discuss a recent deal with a basic view: what happened, why the parties did it, and what legal work it involved. Follow M&A news beforehand.
- What are common M&A interview questions? “Tell me about a recent deal,” “Why would a company acquire another?”, “What do M&A lawyers do?”, and “Why M&A?” Prepare these with genuine understanding.
- What if I have no M&A internship experience? Show genuine interest and basic understanding of the work, use any adjacent transactional exposure, and demonstrate commercial curiosity. Interest and understanding count.
Thank you for reading!
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