Transactions UK

  • April 07, 2025

    Monthly Merger Review Snapshot

    The Federal Trade Commission sued to block GTCR BC's planned purchase of a medical device coatings company, the Justice Department's antitrust case against Live Nation survived a dismissal bid and a New York state court found a ski mountain deal hurt competition. Here, Law360 looks at the major merger review developments from March.

  • April 07, 2025

    Slaughter And May Guides Tech Biz's Acquisition Deal

    Softcat PLC on Monday announced its acquisition of data and artificial intelligence consultancy Oakland in a deal worth at least £8 million ($10.3 million), advised by Slaughter and May.

  • April 07, 2025

    Bird & Bird-Led Banknotes Maker Nears £300M Sale Of Unit

    Money printer maker De La Rue said Monday that it has met almost all the conditions required for the approximately £300 million ($385 million) sale of its authentication division to a U.S. company.

  • April 07, 2025

    Doubts Grow Over Impact Of UK Capital Market Deregulation

    Government efforts to revitalize the country's sluggish economy by stripping away regulatory burdens on financial markets have raised concerns among lawyers that consumers might be exposed to more risk, amid doubts that the steps can stimulate broader U.K. economic output.

  • April 07, 2025

    Birketts-Led Tech Biz Enters Boiler Market With £2.2M Buy

    Technology holding company SDI Group PLC said Monday that it has acquired hot water systems maker Collins Walker Ltd. in a deal worth up to approximately £2.22 million ($2.84 million) as it seeks to power into the electric boiler market.

  • April 07, 2025

    Wealth Manager Quilter Buys NHS Pensions Analyst

    Quilter PLC said Monday that it has acquired MediFintech, an analyst of National Health Service pensions, as the wealth manager looks to bolster its advisory arm to cope with a change to public service retirement plans.

  • April 07, 2025

    Royal Mail's £3.6B Sale To Tycoon Wins 33% Approval So Far

    One-third of shareholders in the owner of Royal Mail have approved the planned £3.6 billion ($4.6 billion) takeover by a conglomerate controlled by a Czech billionaire — out of the 75% needed to give the green light — the companies said Monday.

  • April 07, 2025

    Fidelity Japan Rejects Merger Approach From AVI Japan

    The board of Fidelity Japan Trust has rejected a merger proposal from rival AVI Japan Opportunity Trust, telling its shareholders to vote to continue with its current strategy instead.

  • April 04, 2025

    UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

    This past week in London has seen Russian industrialist Oleg Deripaska target the intelligence arm of CT Group with a commercial fraud claim, Big Technologies sue its former CEO for allegedly concealing interests in several shareholders, and an investment firm tackle a professional negligence claim by Adidas. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • April 04, 2025

    Taxation With Representation: Ropes & Gray, Paul Hastings

    In this week's Taxation With Representation, Siemens AG acquires Dotmatics from Insight Partners, LPL Financial acquires Commonwealth Financial Network, Brookfield Asset Management takes a majority stake in Angel Oak Cos., and TowneBank acquires Old Point Financial Corp.

  • April 04, 2025

    Fieldfisher Steers Quantum Base On AIM Debut, Fundraising

    Quantum Base Holdings PLC on Friday announced its admission to London's alternative investment market, after the authentication business raised approximately £4.8 million ($6.3 million) to fund the commercialization of its technology and expand its product range, advised by Fieldfisher LLP.

  • April 04, 2025

    Lidström Guides Nordic Miner Beowulf On $6M Equity Raising

    Beowulf Mining PLC revealed plans on Friday to raise up to 59.1 million Swedish kronor ($5.9 million) by selling new shares in the iron ore producer to fund progress in its exploratory projects in Scandinavia.

  • April 04, 2025

    Swiss Firm Guides Crédit Agricole Unit To Buy Banque Thaler

    French banking giant Crédit Agricole said Friday that its subsidiary Indosuez Wealth Management will acquire Swiss private lender Banque Thaler in a deal that will bring the unit's total assets under management to almost €220 billion ($243 billion).

  • April 04, 2025

    UK Says Aerospace Co. Fix Could Ease Buyout Antitrust Fears

    The Competition and Markets Authority said Friday that French aerospace group Safran has submitted remedies for its planned $1.8 billion acquisition of the flight-control unit of Collins Aerospace that could allay antitrust concerns.

  • April 03, 2025

    Moonpig To Reward Shareholders With £60M Share Buyback

    Moonpig Group PLC said Thursday it plans to launch a new share repurchase program worth £60 million ($79 million), as the online greeting cards and gifts business highlighted the benefits of artificial intelligence in an update on its performance.

  • April 03, 2025

    Aspiring Mining Biz Debuts On AIM After Raising £2M

    Switch Metals PLC, a company seeking to develop mines in Côte d'Ivoire, announced on Thursday its admission to London's junior market and the completion of its £2 million ($2.6 million) fundraising program, advised by Marriott Harrison and John W Ffooks & Co.

  • April 03, 2025

    Pinsent Masons Promotes 24 Partners In Latest Global Round

    Pinsent Masons said Thursday that it has promoted 24 lawyers to its partnership, a slight rise from 2024's numbers, with women accounting for more than half of those who made the grade.

  • April 03, 2025

    Partners Group To Invest Over €120M In Spanish Waste Biz

    Swiss-based global private equity firm Partners Group said Thursday that it has agreed to acquire a minority stake in Spanish waste treatment company Gestcompost for €120 million ($133 million) in a transaction guided by Clifford Chance LLP.

  • April 03, 2025

    CMS-Led Real Estate Biz Puts In £1.5B Rival Bid For Assura

    Primary Health Properties PLC said Thursday that it has made a rival bid of £1.5 billion ($2 billion) to acquire another U.K. real estate manager, Assura, which would create the eighth-largest real estate investment trust listed in London.

  • April 03, 2025

    AVI Japan Proposes Merger With Fidelity Japan Trust

    AVI Japan Opportunity Trust called on shareholders of Fidelity Japan Trust on Thursday to consider a merger, even though the board of Fidelity has recommended that it continue with its current strategy.

  • April 02, 2025

    Siemens Buying Scientific Software Co. Dotmatics For $5.1B

    Siemens AG said Wednesday it has agreed to acquire scientific software company Dotmatics from global software investor Insight Partners in a deal valued at $5.1 billion, with Latham & Watkins LLP advising Siemens and Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP advising Dotmatics.

  • April 02, 2025

    As Global Markets Struggled, Private Equity Pounced In Q1

    Stock markets slumped, mergers and acquisitions stumbled, and equity issuance took a breather in the first quarter of this year. But it was a different story for private equity, as global deal values shot up nearly 40% compared to the prior-year period, according to PitchBook data published Wednesday.

  • April 02, 2025

    Experian Completes $350M Deal For Brazil Biz ClearSale

    Multinational Experian PLC said Wednesday it has completed its acquisition of Brazil-based ClearSale SA in a $350 million deal that the credit reference agency said will broaden its offering to include transaction fraud detection in account opening.

  • April 02, 2025

    Ankle Tag Maker Sues Sacked CEO Over Ties To Shareholders

    A company which makes technology for monitoring people remotely has brought legal action against its ousted chief executive, alleging that she lied about her interest in the company's shareholders and stole funds from the business.

  • April 02, 2025

    Builders' Merchant Grafton To Buy Tool Hire Biz For €32M

    Grafton Group PLC said Wednesday it has agreed to acquire HSS Hire Group's Irish tool and equipment rental unit for €31.6 million ($34.2 million), as the building materials supplier seeks to expand its customer base.

Expert Analysis

  • What To Know About FCA's UK Listing Rules Proposal

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    A recent consultation paper from the Financial Conduct Authority aims to streamline the securities-listing process for U.K.-regulated markets, including by allowing issuers to submit a single application for all securities of the same class, and aligning the disclosure standards for low-denomination and wholesale bonds, say lawyers at Debevoise.

  • Issues To Watch At ABA's Antitrust Spring Meeting

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    Attorneys at Freshfields consider the future of antitrust law and competition enforcement amid agency leadership changes and other emerging developments likely to dominate discussion at the American Bar Association's Antitrust Spring Meeting this week.

  • What To Note In EU Tech Transfer Agreements Consultation

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    Robert Klotz at Steptoe explains the European Commission’s main contemplated amendments to a regulation that exempts certain technology transfer agreements from European Union restrictions, the current political context around the ongoing reform, and as its potential consequences for businesses.

  • UK Refusal Of US Extradition Request May Set New Standard

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    The recent U.K. Supreme Court ruling in El-Khouri v. U.S., denying a U.S. extradition request, overturns a long-held precedent and narrows how U.K. courts must decide such requests, potentially signaling a broader reevaluation of U.K. extradition law, say lawyers at Dechert and Kingsley Napley.

  • Key Findings From EU Report On Antitrust Remedies

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    Although the European Commission’s recent report assessing the effectiveness of its antitrust policy on behavioral remedies is not binding, it may influence future cases and promote coherence, providing useful insights for national competition authorities and courts when considering remedies in their own jurisdictions, say lawyers at Paul Weiss.

  • New UK Order Offers Welcome Clarity To Crypto Staking Rules

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    The recently effective Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 Amendment Order clarifies that arrangements for qualifying crypto-asset staking do not amount to a collective investment scheme, and by addressing an issue that curtailed staking activities in the U.K., facilitates the use of that practice, says Andrew Henderson at Goodwin.

  • How EU Competition Policy Will Affect State Aid Rules

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    The European Commission’s recent competitiveness compass policy indicates its ambitions for the European Union to become an economic powerhouse, leveraging a new coordination tool that would affect state aid rules and boost public support for green energy investments, say lawyers at Linklaters.

  • Banker Remuneration Proposals Could Affect More Than Pay

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    The Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority’s pending proposals to reduce banker remuneration restrictions bring obvious personal financial advantages for bankers, but may have repercussions that result in increased scrutiny of bonus payments and wider changes to workplace culture and overall accountability, say lawyers at Fox Williams.

  • Rethinking 'No Comment' For Clients Facing Public Crises

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    “No comment” is no longer a cost-free or even a viable public communications strategy for companies in crisis, and counsel must tailor their guidance based on a variety of competing factors to help clients emerge successfully, says Robert Bowers at Moore & Van Allen.

  • EU Paper Urges Data Protection And Competition Law Unity

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    A recent European Data Protection Board position paper calls for closer cooperation among data protection and competition authorities, and provides valuable insight for businesses seeking to ensure compliance across an increasingly complex regulatory landscape, say lawyers at Paul Weiss.

  • Decoding Arbitral Disputes: Equal Rights Limit State Immunity

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    The Court of Appeal of England and Wales' recent determination that Spain’s London embassy could not dodge a former U.K.-based employee’s discrimination claims by invoking sovereign immunity reaffirms its position that employment and human rights should come before the privileges of foreign powers, says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray’s Inn.

  • How Proposed Private Share Trading System May Benefit Cos.

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    The government's proposal for a private securities and capital exchange system intends to enhance market practices and risk tolerances, offering a significant way for firms to free up liquidity by allowing investors to trade existing private company shares, say lawyers at Mishcon de Reya.

  • Managing Transatlantic Antitrust Investigations And Litigation

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    As transatlantic competition regulators cooperate more closely and European antitrust investigations increasingly spark follow-up civil suits in the U.S., companies must understand how to simultaneously juggle high-stakes multigovernment investigations and manage the risks of expensive new claims across jurisdictions, say lawyers at Paul Weiss.

  • What To Know As EU Urges Outbound Investment Reviews

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    A recent European Commission recommendation urges European Union member states to review outbound investments in certain critical technologies sectors, but does not clarify the next steps for states once information on relevant transactions in third countries is received, say lawyers at Cleary.

  • Competition Act Brings Important UK Merger Control Changes

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    Although recently effective sections of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act provide clarity on the transactions that may attract Competition and Markets Authority attention, some reforms potentially expanding the regulator's scope may be concerning to transacting parties, say lawyers at Fried Frank.

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