Dresner Partners and IMAP, a global partnership of leading merger and acquisition advisory firms, hosted an International Mergers and Acquisitions Symposium at the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago on April 11. Dresner Partners is IMAP’s partner in Chicago. More than 150 people attended, including senior-level professionals from private equity, corporate development officers, global M&A attorneys, consultants, and IMAP M&A transaction advisers from more than 30 countries. The symposium showcased the capabilities and global reach of Dresner Partners through its partners within IMAP, and provided detailed perspective on the creative methods and techniques being used to complete cross-border opportunities for buyers and sellers across the globe.

“We were extremely pleased by the success of Chicago Symposium, which coincided with the 20th anniversary of Dresner Partners and 40th anniversary of IMAP,” said Steve Dresner, president of Dresner Partners. “Our guests said the presentations were as interesting as they were informative, and that the networking was valuable.”

Cheryl Beebe, Chief Financial Officer of Ingredion Incorporated (NYSE: INGR) was the keynote speaker. She talked about “Extreme Cross-Border M&A: An Insider's Look at Crossing Over 15 Borders in a Single Deal.”

Ms. Beebe’s presentation was followed by two panel discussions. The first, “Completing Mergers & Acquisitions in Europe, Asia, Latin America and the United States,” was moderated by Omar Diaz, Managing Director of Dresner Partners. The panel consisted of:

• Gilberto Escobedo, Founding Partner, Serficor Partners/IMAP, Mexico
• Dr. Heiko Frank, Managing Director, M&A Consultants AG/IMAP, Germany
• Eduardo Morcillo, Managing Partner, InterChina/IMAP, China
• Michael Reeves, Managing Partner, Clearwater Corporate Finance/IMAP, United Kingdom

The second panel discussion covered the intricacies of “Completing Successful Cross-Border M&A Transactions.” Brian Graves, Managing Director of Dresner Partners, moderated. The panel consisted of:

• John Dickey, Esq., Member, Dykema Gossett PLLC
• Tom Ewers, Senior Director, West Monroe Partners
• Brad Rode, International Tax Partner, BDO USA LLP
• Antonio Villalón, Executive Vice Chairman, Rothschild

The panel discussions were followed by cocktails, during which Illinois gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner gave a quick speech and shook hands with attendees.

Sponsors of the International Mergers and Acquisitions Symposium included BDO USA LLP, Dykema Gossett PLLC, Marketwire, mergermarket, and West Monroe Partners. The Symposium was also supported by IMAP’s North American partners including Amherst Partners, Morgan Joseph TriArtisan, Falls River Group, United Mergers & Acquisitions.