MERGER & acquisition activity recorded an increase of 124% in the value of deals done in the first quarter of 2009 compared to the final three months last year, figures released yesterday by Experian show.

DESPITE the cheery glow, the banter and experience of cooking for celebrities, Irish chef Niall Harbison failed to persuade the crew of the notorious Dragons’ Den to part with their investment cash to make his dream come true.

AZUR Pharma, the pharmaceutical company set up by former Elan executive Seamus Mulligan, has successfully completed a private placement of ordinary shares, raising $48 million (€35 million).

Smart YuRoE Broadband Limited (SYB - formerly Calally) today announced that it has completed a refinancing package of the Smart Telecom group ahead of taking the company private on June 29, 2007.

IBI Corporate Finance was yesterday named as Ireland’s leading corporate finance adviser by leading European market research agency, Mergermarket, who found IBI advised on more corporate mergers and acquisitions than any other adviser in the Irish market.

A survey of corporate finance activity in Ireland by Mergermarket today ranks IBI Corporate Finance as Ireland’s busiest corporate finance adviser with the largest number of deals in 2004.