To start with a tongue in cheek disclaimer: If we've offended any Corporate Lawyers or Investment Bankers in the recording of this podcast, we did so with gusto and enjoyed having a dig at your expense :-)  But enough of that. When and where did the term M&A originate?We use the term M&A freely as part of everyday language, but when and where did it all start. Our dastardly duo jump into their time machine and head back to 1602 when the Dutch India Company was formed and became the first truly recognised 'corporate entity'. Fast forward 100 years and the Dutch India Company merged with one of its competitors to stave off a downturn in business.By the 1800's the world of corporate finance was in full swing and London was the recognised finance centre of the world.  And that was the catalyst for companies to trade in shares, raise various forms of finance and start the process of buying and selling businesses. The process we know today as Mergers and Acquisitions.And since then the world of M&A has literally exploded through what Robert and Toby describe as 7 distinct development stages. And today you won't be surprised to learn that since 2000, more than 790,000 transactions have been announced worldwide with a known value of over 57 trillion USD.Listen to today's podcast and see if you agree with our 7 phases of M&A.