The 2008 financial crisis, which prompted the deepest economic recession since the nineteen thirties, saw markets freeze and a record number of commercial bankruptcies and bank and brokerage-house failures. Its aftermath is arguably still being felt. Among the 25 billion-dollar public companies that filed for bankruptcy in 2008 were the two largest in US history to date: Lehman Brothers Holdings and Washington Mutual.

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PitchBook Report 2026
European M&A and PE markets are entering 2026 with strong momentum โ but also greater




