Publicis Groupe Agencies at MSLGROUP Asia ranked 3rd in mergermarket League Tables of PR Advisers for Q1 2012

Publicis Groupe’s financial communications consultancies in Asia – operating as part of the MSLGROUP network - have been ranked third by volume of Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) deals, according to mergermarket, a leading M&A intelligence service in the ‘mergermarket League Tables of PR Advisers’ for Q1 2012. MSLGROUP is Publicis Groupe’s flagship strategic communications and engagement company and the largest public relations and social media network in Greater China and India today.

The mergermarket study analyzed the Q1 performance (January to March 2012) of PR advisors in Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) deals and placed Publicis Groupe’s financial communications consultancies third in terms of number of deals and eighth in terms of collective deal value ($978 million) within Asia Pacific. This represents a jump in ranking of 49th to eighth by value and from the 19th to third by volume.

In Asia Pacific, the mergermarket report has considered four deals advised by Publicis Groupe’s financial communications consultancies – three by Hanmer MSL and one by MSL China.

‘mergermarket’ bases its ratings on deal values – considering only those over $5million – and number of deals struck. The ‘mergermarket League Tables of PR Advisers’ Q1 2012 is part of the ‘mergermarket’ report that not only evaluates and analyses M&A transactions all over the world on a quarterly and annual basis; but also the performance of PR advisors who act as strategic counsel.

Commenting on the achievement, Jaideep Shergill, Chief Executive Officer of Hanmer MSL, India said, “The global economy has been witnessing consolidation across industries, much of it in the form of mergers and acquisitions. We sense immense opportunities in the M&A space for our finance practices in Asia, especially at a time when many European, American and even Asian firms are looking for quality acquisitions in the region.”

Hanmer MSL India managed M&A communications for leading Indian business groups including Piramal Healthcare (acquisition of 5.5% stake in Vodafone India by Piramal Healthcare), Network 18 Group (acquisition of 100% stake in Eenadu Group by Network 18) and Binani Industries (acquisition of 100% stake in 3B – The Fibreglass Company by Binani Industries). MSL China advised and managed communications for the Neiman Marcus Group on the US based company’s merger with Glamour Sales Holding, an online retail company, in China.