Deals activity on the increase for Birmingham law firm

BIRMINGHAM-based law firm Shakespeares has welcomed the buoyant mergers and acquisitions sector for providing its dealmakers with a significant boost.

The firm said it had helped businesses undertake deals in excess of £1bn during 2014 across its seven offices, with approximately £550m of these transactions based in the West Midlands.

It the third consecutive year that the firm’s deal flow and value has increased.

The corporate deals team said it had seen a particular rise in cross border transactions throughout the region, as well as M&A activity.
 
David Stevenson, who heads the corporate team in Birmingham, said: “The M&A market has certainly gained momentum and we are seeing increased levels of work on both the buy and sell side.

“Corporates have cash and are keen to use it to grow while owner managers in particular are planning and implementing sales that may have been on hold for a number of years.

“All in all this is making for a materially more vibrant deal environment than we have seen for some time and long may it continue.”
 
Duncan James, head of the firm’s Nottingham office, said it had been interesting that many of the deals involved an overseas buyer.
 
He said he was also seeing a return in the number of MBOs being transacted as a favoured exit route for many sellers forced to hold on to their company for longer than they had hoped due to market conditions.

Summing up the firm’s achievements, he added: “This is an outstanding achievement by the firm and was the third consecutive year that the deal flow and value has increased. This is a reflection of an improved economic outlook but also that Shakespeares now has a significant geographical footprint that is now acting for both local SME’s and international clients.”