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.