December 6, 2011 M&A ACTIVITY BRISK FOR BERKERY NOYES

By Joe Berkery

The first three quarters of 2011 have been busy for Berkery Noyes, with 15 transactions closed during the period and several more scheduled to close during the fourth quarter. What’s remarkable about these transactions is the high level of buyer interest and strong valuations each one has received. Despite uncertainty in the wider economy, M&A activity is on track to equal or exceed the pace established during the pre-recession boom.

The brisk pace of M&A is apparent across most of the segments we cover, including the information, software, media, entertainment, technology, finance, healthcare, and education industries. For information about these transactions, visit the recent transactions section of our website.

The increase in transaction volume has prompted Berkery Noyes to expand its investment banking capacity. During the past year we have added three new managing directors, along with additional team members at the vice president and associate/ analyst levels to support them. We expect the elevated pace of transactions to continue at least through the next 14 months as corporate and financial buyers look to deploy abundant cash reserves through acquisitions, and as sellers act ahead of changes in the tax code which may drive up the cost of a sale after 2013 (mentioned in the previous post).