Mergers and Acquisitions

The continuous growth of the financial sector and its ability to channel large amounts of funds in a short time and the quest of companies for global expansions have led to the constant rise of merger and acquisition (M&A) activity. The total value of global dealmaking exceeded 3 trillion dollars in 2017. While North America still accounts for 44% of global M&A volume, Europe has been witnessing an exponential increase in M&A activity with European activity reaching 27% of total dealmaking. The aim of this module is to equip students with a sound understanding of the business drivers of M&A transactions and the legal regime governing them. The module will predominantly focus on the European and Irish M&A landscape. Topics covered include the market for corporate control, domestic and cross-border mergers and their regulation in the E.U., takeover regulation in the E.U. and Ireland and takeover defense tactics. The module will also include practitioner talks.

Please note that the course is more focused on the law and regulation of takeovers and mergers. As a result, students enrolling in the class must have a sound knowledge of company law.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:

• Understand the business drivers and sources of value creation of M&A transactions.
• Assess the regulation of domestic and cross-border mergers and takeovers in the EU and Ireland.
• Critically evaluate the benefits and perils of hostile takeovers.
• Assess the desirability of takeover defenses.

Assessment

• Research Paper - 85%
• Presentation - 15%

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