Christopher M. Barlow

By PYMNTS | February 11, 2026 | Highlights Acquihiring is becoming a primary route to AI talent as companies prioritize teams over full acquisitions. Skadden partners say speed, models and specialized engineers now drive deal value more than products or revenue. Regulators in the U.S. and Europe are testing whether people-first AI deals fit traditional merger rules. Watch more: TechREG With Skadden’s Kenneth B. Schwartz, Ingrid Vandenborre, Christopher M.

Despite the “sudden” arrival of AI in the mainstream, many early pioneers within the government ecosystem have already worked directly or experimented indirectly with AI. An understanding of the current state—disjointed though it might be—is necessary to comprehend the important successes and failures as the collective federal government seeks to offer varying degrees of top-down guidance.

Transactions by special purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs, exploded in 2020, resulting in a 320% increase in the number of SPAC initial public offerings (IPOs) compared to 2019. SPACs have been around for 15 years and now are established as a legitimate alternative to a traditional merger or IPO.