For the past year-plus, transactional lawyers have been drowning in work, responding to a well-documented surge in demand. At Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, all that activity resulted in the firm placing in the top 10 for global M&A value handled in 2021, according to Refinitiv. For executive partner Eric Friedman, that success in the present is central to the firm's plans for success in the future.