Big transactions are on the horizon, but there will be lower overall transaction volume, according to Darlene DeRemer of Grail Partners. DeRemer spoke at a panel called "Future of Asset Management" Monday afternoon at the second annual MFWire Influencers Summit at the Ritz Carlton in Boston.

"Thank God I'm a banker," DeRemer quipped.

She said most M&A activity will be "mergers at the edges," deals that involve larger firms seeking scale to better compete with rivals and smaller firms seeking scale to survive. In the middle ($5 billion to $50 billion AUM), there will be "sporadic" deal action, she added.

As for headline valuations, they will remain depressed, with buyers seeking to defray risk.

Other panelists included Lisa Finkel, formerly of Wellington Management, and Marco Hanig, president of AQR Funds [see profile]. 

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