Global mergers and acquisitions deal activity rose 24 percent in the first quarter, compared to the same period last year, according to a recent study.

The Q1 2011 IntraLinks Deal Flow Indicator (DFI) found each region around the globe experienced increases in deal activity year-over-year compared to first quarter 2010 with Latin America seeing a 39 percent increase, Europe/Middle East/Africa a 26 percent increase, Asia Pacific a 22 percent increase and North America a 21 percent increase.

"Despite the pressure on the U.S. dollar and the uncertain political climate it’s very encouraging to see the North American market increasing both sequentially and year-over-year," said Matt Porzio, vice president, M&A product marketing, IntraLinks.

However, the IntraLinks DFI found that regional growth remained flat or decreased in the first quarter compared to the fourth quarter 2010 with the exception of North America, which increased 12 percent sequentially.

"Different regional factors, such as the unresolved debt issues in certain European markets, shifting regulatory environments, and the fallout from the Japan disaster, are also impacting deal flow. At the same time, it’s very important to recognize the year-over-year increase in all regions as a positive indicator and we need to understand that we essentially have returned to pre-crisis levels of activity," he added.

Outside of North America, the remaining regions experienced the following sequential decreases – Latin America (1 percent), Europe/Middle East/Africa (8 percent) and Asia-Pacific (22 percent).