Regional M&A activity to pick up in 2014

[SINGAPORE] Merger-and-acquisition (M&A) activity in the region is set to grow this year, if the political fabric of some countries such as Thailand remains intact.

"We're fairly positive on the M&A space here this year, though we'll have to keep our fingers crossed over how our neighbours develop - how Singapore fares will depend on the region," said Andrew Ang, head of the Corporate/Mergers & Acquisitions Practice and a partner in the Private Equity Practice at WongPartnership.

Mr Ang is in a good position to share that view; WongPartnership was the top-ranking Singapore law firm by deal count for Asia-Pacific ex-Japan announced deals in 2013, according to Bloomberg.

For 2014, Mr Ang sees continued interest in the energy, resources and infrastructure sectors, as well as education and healthcare, with investors in this part of the world inclined to use th…