So this is how it's going to be? All-nighters. Calls accepted on the golf course. Blackberry-sent emails at 5 AM. These weren't analyst drones. According to The New York Times, these were the top guys at the firms re-negotiating the Home Depot Supply unit deal. In the end, the sale price dropped by $2 billion, and each of the big name private equity firms--Carlyle Group, Bain Capital and Clayton Dubilier & Rice--put up $150 million more. To some extent, this dynamic will have to be replayed for every deal out there. Given the current market, the only way to close deals is for all players to give a little. It can work. And it's likely to generate a favorable reaction on Wall Street. These are the times when all the political capital you've built up can come into play. I've said it before, this is where the true stars shine.

For more:
- here's the article from The New York Times