Survey data from European M&A practitioners shows how middle-market firms are structuring fees in response to market conditions.
TORONTO, Oct. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Firmex, a world-leading virtual data room provider, in partnership with DEALCIRCLE, announces the publication of the 2024-2025 European M&A Fee Guide. Now in its eighth year, this report captures the perspectives of 289 European M&A advisors, offering invaluable benchmarks for advisory fees and engagement models in the middle market.
Key Highlights:
- Despite rising costs, only 39% of firms raised at least one type of fee in 2024, down from 59% in 2023.
- More than half of firms surveyed reported revenue growth last year, reflecting continued resilience and adaptability.
- Monthly engagement fees have become the most popular structure, with more firms adopting higher average levels.
- The average success fee declined, especially for smaller deals, pointing to increased competition and client expectations.
- Advisors showed greater flexibility on fee arrangements, with more firms willing to deduct work fees from success fees and accommodate phased seller payments.
- Looking ahead, advisors express optimism: a significant proportion plan to raise fees in 2025 as deal flow and client confidence improve.
"Our eighth annual fee survey met M&A practitioners during a year of transition. With interest rates expected to fluctuate, advisors were planning ahead while also adapting to current economic conditions," said Mark Wright, general manager of Firmex.
The 2024-2025 European M&A Fee Guide affirms that the middle-market community is responding creatively to macroeconomic conditions, balancing profitability with client needs, and is well-positioned for future growth as optimism returns to the market.
Read the full report on Firmex's website.
About Firmex
Firmex is the most trusted provider of virtual data rooms where more deals, diligence, and compliance get done. Since 2006, Firmex has supported over 223,000 companies worldwide by simplifying complex processes in M&A, private equity fundraising, litigation, and more. Whenever professionals need to share sensitive documents beyond the firewall, Firmex is their trusted partner, providing bank-level security and award-winning support. For teams using a data room more than once annually, a Firmex subscription provides simple, safe, and stress-free document sharing without hidden costs or complexity. For more information, please visit firmex.com.
Media Contact
Edward Stephen, Firmex, 1 416-840-4241, [email protected], https://www.firmex.com/
SOURCE Firmex

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