IMAP Ranks High in 2009 Global Mergers & Acquisitions League Tables

SARASOTA, FL--(Marketwire - January 22, 2010) - IMAP, Inc., an exclusive global mergers and acquisitions (M&A) organization, finished the tumultuous year of 2009 ranked sixth in the world for completed transactions with values up to $100 million, according to the Thomson Reuters Mid-Market League Table. This is the fourth consecutive year that IMAP has placed in the top 10 for this global M&A ranking.

IMAP continues to climb the rankings in Europe and emerging markets. For the last quarter of 2009, IMAP ranked fourth in Europe, which represents a notable climb from its eighth place rank in 2006 and its sixth place rank for the preceding years. In addition, the IMAP Nordic team ranked first in its region for the third consecutive year. IMAP ranked second in Eastern Europe having moved from sixth and fourth over the last two years. In Latin America IMAP ranked fourth for completed transactions compared to its seventh in 2008 (the initial year for M&A rankings in this region).

"Last year was a very unusual year," said IMAP President Mark Esbeck, "It was gratifying to see that IMAP did well and made gains in the market at a time when getting M&A transactions completed was not an easy-to-accomplish event." According to Esbeck, transaction sizes were smaller in 2009 than in 2008 resulting in greater competition in the mid-market. "We saw more competition from firms such as Goldman Sachs & Co., J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley in 2009 than in 2008," he said.

Overall, transaction closings in 2009 were down 20 to 40 percent for most advisory groups compared to 2008. IMAP transaction closings were down as well, but less than Esbeck expected. The outlook for 2010 is for a continued difficult market for the M&A industry, according to Esbeck. IMAP will have more to report on this when it releases its 16th annual Transaction & Pricing Survey in February. This survey provides review and outlook for the global mergers and acquisitions market based on transaction results captured from more than 30 countries.

About IMAP

IMAP is an exclusive global organization of independent merger and acquisition advisory offices. Formed in 1973, IMAP is composed of 50 offices in 28 countries throughout North and South America, Eastern and Western Europe, and Asia. In 2008, IMAP advisers completed 252 transactions, with an aggregate transaction value of more than $13 billion. IMAP advisers provide strategic merger, acquisition, divestiture and related corporate finance services. Sellers of mid-size companies and corporate acquirers alike rely upon IMAP for essential local market knowledge and industry expertise delivered with unparalleled global reach. Every business day, somewhere in the world, an IMAP adviser is completing an M&A transaction. More information is available via the Internet at www.imap.com.

Contact Information: Media Contacts: Aubrey Pauly (312) 780-7218 apauly@dresnerco.com David Gutierrez (312) 780-7204 dgutierrez@dresnerco.com