Karim Anani, EY Americas Financial Accounting and Advisory Services Transactions Leader, and Mark Schwartz, Head of IPO and SPAC Capital Markets Advisory, join Winna Brown to explore why SPACs remain highly relevant despite market volatility and regulatory headwinds. Contact Karim: [email protected]  Contact Mark: [email protected]  In 2021, more than 40% of new public companies listed through mergers with SPACs. While SPACs have been around for decades, the boom of the last few years has dominated its narrative in the marketplace. Today, there are hundreds of SPACs seeking “transactable” targets that face potential liquidation in the next year or so if deals aren’t made.  Against this backdrop, SPAC sponsors are operating in an extremely choppy market environment for SPACs and other new issues, and recently proposed SEC regulation has increased uncertainty in an already uneasy deal-making environment. Today’s episode explores why SPACs remain highly relevant in EY dialogue with operating companies and their backers despite the market and regulatory headwinds. What is in store for SPACs over the next one to two years and beyond? Recent innovation and complexity in SPAC mergers Evolving negotiation dynamics in recent dealmaking processes Ongoing evolution of what makes an attractive operating company for a SPAC merger Transforming and adapting of SPACs in the face of the current challenges