At Financier Worldwide, Nat Burgess took part in an online roundtable about current trends in mergers and acquisitions in the tech sector:
The premium tech M&A deals over the past 12 months have been driven by cross-border dynamics, diversification, and the explosive growth of certain key markets. US companies have billions in cash overseas, where they can put it to work on M&A, rather than repatriating it and facing stiff taxes. All of the major buyers we talk to, from Microsoft on down, are refining their strategies for buying quality companies offshore. In the last four months we have sold a French company to ANSYS, a Korean company to Intel, and have received other offers and indications from US companies looking to put offshore capital to work.
The whole article is worth reading, with thoughts from Nat, David R. Yates at Hunton & Williams LLP, and James Klein at Penningtons Solicitors LLP.