It proved to be a strong rebound year in 2014 for mergers and acquisitions in the United States, and dealmaking involving New Jersey corporations was no exception. It's a long-awaited development M&A lawyers chalked up largely to a return of confidence to the marketplace.

The 30 richest deals including a New Jersey-based target or acquirer had a combined value of about $169.1 billion, according to the Law Journal's annual survey, conducted using data provided by Thomson Reuters Financial.

That figure includes all deals announced, whether or not they closed in 2014. (In past years, the Law Journal had excluded transactions that hadn't been finalized by year's end.)