La reprise de l’activité des fusions-acquisitions en France est officielle. Il suffit de penser à la prise de contrôle d’International Power par GDF Suez, à l’acquisition de Sperian par Honeywell ou à la tentative en cours du géant de la pharmacie Sanofi de s’emparer de Genzyme aux Etats-Unis pour en être convaincu.

J’ai assisté au Club Fusion et Acquisition français de mergermarket qui s’est déroulé le 8 novembre à l’hôtel Ritz à Paris. C’était l’occasion pour les acteurs des fusions-acquisitions et du capital investissement de faire le point sur la situation en France.

In today’s working environment, companies are geographically dispersed in multiple locations, often separated from customers, colleagues and partners. To avoid the need to travel hundreds or even thousands of miles to meet in person, collaborative tools could be the answer. Companies are increasingly seeing the benefit of these technologies and with the introduction of methods such as VoIP, instant messaging and web conferencing, individuals can communicate in a virtual environment, creating increased productivity and improved business process workflow.

IntraLinks is well ahead of the game and has provided collaborative technology in the form of IntraLinks Exchanges for over a decade, enabling the secure exchange of critical information. We recently exhibited at Solutions Intranet et Travail Collaboratif, a conference focused on collaborative work solutions in Paris, to showcase our solutions and to meet with customers. To understand more about the impact collaboration tools have on the market, I attended a workshop called ‘Collaboration in business, real cure for the crisis’ presented by Patrick Schambel, Managing Director from Silverpeas.

According to the French Private Equity Association (AFIC), €10 billion has been invested in the French private equity market over the last ten years. It's, therefore, unsurprising that private equity represents one of the main growth drivers for the French economy.

On September 29th, mergermarket held its first annual conference on mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in Paris at the Hyatt Vendome. The agenda was divided into two sections: the status of the economy and the changing nature of economic transactions in M&A.

In the morning, discussions around the economy explored the advantages and disadvantages of regulatory guidelines. Many of the 180 professionals at the event shared their concerns about the current economic landscape, specifically a deep sense of uncertainty about the future. In France, financial institutions are waiting for new regulations, while regulators try to create politically acceptable rules that can simultaneously guarantee an environment where innovation and investment can thrive. The ultimate conclusion is simple: Uncertainty reigns.

Le 29 Septembre, mergermarket a tenu sa première conférence annuelle sur les fusions et acquisitions en France - avec environ 180 participants qui se sont présentés à l'hôtel Hyatt Vendôme - tout près du bureau d'IntraLinks à Paris. L'ordre du jour a été divisé en deux. Le matin était dédié à l'orientation de l'économie avec un fort accent sur les avantages et les inconvénients de la réglementation. L'après-midi a été consacrée à échanger sur les réalités du nouvel ordre économique sur les transactions M&A et «la mode» du moment, la restructuration.