Ireland ready for M&A surge

Ireland is preparing for a rush of mergers and acquisitions as its economy starts to recover despite concerns that the eurozone recession is worsening, a report from Irish corporate law firm William Fry has said.

The Financial Times reports that the Dublin-headquartered firm’s study came as Royalty Pharma launched its $6.6bn bid for Irish drug company Elan, while just last week Canadian life insurer Great-West Lifeco bid €1.3bn for Ireland’s biggest life insurer Irish Life - which was nationalised during the financial crisis.

Propel activity

William Fry noted that a stream of potential deals in the pharmaceutical, medical and biotechnology sectors this year will further propel M&A activity in Ireland in 2013.
‘Overseas buyers are not only focused on distress-driven opportunities. With its improved competitiveness, Ireland’s future within the euro is more certain than it was a year or two ago,’ said the firm in its report.
The study also revealed that the value of mergers and acquisitions completed in Ireland increased 18 per cent to €17.1bn in 2012.