In my daily conversations with business owners and business buyers, at least half the people I talk with seem concerned about a double-dip recession.

While there are certainly risks, there are some very good reasons to question if a double-dip recession is really something we should be worried about. Earlier this week The Wall Street Journal wrote a very good article  entitled Double Dip? Seven Reasons Why Not explaining why a double-dip recession is not very likely.

The Middle Market Investment Banking Association (MMIBA) has appointed Richard E. Jackim of MidCap Advisors, LLC to join its Executive Board. 

MMIBA is a professional association dedicated to promoting the middle market investment banking profession and its interests to the public, academia and the appropriate regulatory authorities. MMIBA provides training, testing and certification of middle market investment banking professionals by awarding the Chartered Merger & Acquisition Professional (CMAP) designation. 

As valuations rebounded, the second quarter of 2010 saw a marked increase in the number of companies that private equity groups decided to sell.  This three month period saw 100 deals with the sellers realizing over $25 billion in proceeds. That makes this the most active quarter for private equity exits in nearly 2 years.

Our research shows that 77 private equity groups have acquired or invested in 114 companies in the Healthcare Services industry since the beginning of 2009. According to PitchBook, activity in the industry has been on the rise in the first half of 2010 because many believe the healthcare services industry came out as one of the winners in the new healthcare legislation. The buyers we work with expect demand for healthcare service companies to continue to be strong throughout 2010 and the first half of 2011.

The total value of all merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions was $810.3 billion during the first half of 2010.  This is very similar to last year's $814.6 billion for the same time period.

Experts at MidCap Advisors and other leading M&A firms expect deal activity to pick up as market fundamentals strengthen and businesses that have conserved cash begin implementing growth plans that had been put on hold during the recession.

At MidCap Advisors we advise clients on the "transaction continuum" ranging from licensing, which represents a relateively low level of commitment by both parties, to the purchase or acquisition of a company, which represents the highest level of commitment. 

The following is an exerpt from an excellent article on the pros and cons of licensing by attorney Bill Venema, a partner with the law firm of Epstein Becker & Green. This article describes the pros and cons of licensing from both sides of the table.

MidCap Advisors is pleased to announce that Allen Conger will open MidCap Advisors' new Charleston, South Carolina office. 

"We are very pleased that Allen has joined the MidCap Team" said John Poppe, Partner and Co-Founder of MidCap Advisors. "Allen's professional experience as both an investment banker and former business owner, combined with his strong connections throughout the Southeast, make him a valuable addition to our firm." 

Prior to joining MidCap Advisors, Mr. Conger served as Director at Pegasus Funds, an investment bank focused primarily on public equities and mergers & acquisitions. In this capacity, Mr. Conger sourced transactions and managed relationships in a wide array of industries.

The survey shows that business leaders are becoming much more optimistic, with 63 percent expecting the U.S. economy to improve in the next six months, up from 43 percent in February.

With the rebound in the economy and the increase in business valuations, MidCap Advisors has seen a significant increase in activity.  Below is a list of some of the projects on which MidCap Advisors is working.

As the economy steadily improves, business owners may be faced with another credit hurdle - sufficient working capital.  Banks continue to operate with more stringent lending terms and some are only supporting existing clients or are reluctant to increase credit lines.

Despite all the naysayers about health care reform, finance executives at the Nashville Health Care Council's annual "Financing the Deal" conference expressed confidence in the health care sector, noting increased availability of capital and an uptick in mergers and acquisitions activity.

As of May 2010 U.S. private equity funds have $445 billion in dry powder to invest according to Cambridge Associates, an independent research firm for institutional investors and private clients.  The largest amount since 1998.

After attracting record amounts of capital for three years starting in 2005, the number of private equity transactions plummeted as debt financing dried up. As a result, much of the money private equity groups raised over the last four years remains uninvested posing significant challenges for private equity groups and their investors and opportunties for savvy business sellers.

As mentioned in previous posts, M&A activity is on a strong rebound in the first quarter of 2010. Based on our day-to-day conversations with strategic and financial buyers, which are now confirmed by a recent study by KPMG,LLP and The Deal, we believe the following industries will be the Top 10 hot beds of M&A activity in 2010.

The financial services sector has been getting increased attention from private equity investors as the credit crisis eases and the financial sector's outlook begins to look brighter. According to PitchBook, in the first quarter of 2010,