Hunton Retail Law Resource

M&A activity was strong in 2025, marking the second-best year on record for both global and North American markets. Technology, industrials, finance, and healthcare remained at the forefront, with retail and consumer products sectors also seeing a lot of movement. On a full-year basis, total deal value in retail, consumer products, and hospitality reached its highest level since the pandemic-era peak in 2021.

The National Labor Relations Board (“Board” or NLRB) can have up to five sitting Board members, but only three are needed for the NLRB to have a quorum. The Board had been without a quorum for most of last year but now has three sitting members thanks to two new additions last month. It marked the first time since the start of President Trump’s second term that a majority of Board members have been Republicans.

The National Labor Relations Board’s (“NLRB”) then-acting General Counsel recently issued Memorandum GC 26-01, announcing a new, agency-wide docketing procedure that significantly reshapes how charges are processed. This move comes in response to a growing backlog, which has been exacerbated by both the unprecedented 43-day government shutdown and persistent staffing shortages in regional offices.

The National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB” or “Board”) has a quorum for the first time in nearly a year.