According to new Mergermarket data, the Asia Pacific region (excluding Japan) saw a drop in M&A deals of 13 percent in the first nine months of the year, when compared to same time last year. However, Asia-Pacific’s third quarter  deal value was up 16.6 percent on second quarter 2012 US$89.5 billion.  

Asia-Pacific inbound cross-border deals added up to US$27.5 billion in the third quarter of the year, up 154.6 percent on the previous quarter but a 28.2 percent drop from the same quarter last year. The region’s outbound cross-border total deal value was US$29.8 billion in the third quarter, up 34.2 percent from the previous quarter and down 25.3 percent from the same period last year.

Indonesia bucked the general downward trend with its M&A total of US$12.3 billion for the first nine months of the year, up 185.3 percent on the 2011 figures. Singapore also experienced a robust increase of 152.2 percent in deal value. China saw a modest increase of nine percent to US$91 billion compared to 2011.

Freehills was the number one firm for Australasian M&A deals according to Mergermarket’s data. The firm acted on US$14,607 million worth of deals in the first nine months of the year across 40 deals. Gilbert + Tobin and King & Wood Mallesons took second and third place in terms of value and volume, while Allens and Minter Ellison came in fourth for value and volume respectively.

Mergermarket’s data is based on transactions greater than US$5 million which have been announced between 1 January 2012 and 30 September 2012.

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