Try our Advanced Search for more refined results
Transactions UK
-
August 30, 2024
Monthly Merger Review Snapshot
The Federal Trade Commission went to court against Kroger's $25 billion purchase of Albertsons and geared up for its looming handbags merger case, the Justice Department added to its case against Live Nation, and the sports-streaming juggernaut partnering ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery hit a significant roadblock.
-
August 30, 2024
UK's Labour Gov't Urged To Raise Capital Gains Tax
The Labour government is facing calls to raise the capital gains tax despite financial firms advising investors to sell off their assets or even leave the United Kingdom over the possible tax hike.
-
August 30, 2024
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London
This past week in London has seen television property developer Kambiz Babaee hit with a fraud claim, a Bitcoin podcaster reignite a dispute with Australian computer scientist Craig Wright and football club owner Massimo Cellino's company file a claim against ClearBank. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.
-
August 30, 2024
UK Biotech Biz To Cancel AIM Listing Amid Administration
Troubled U.K. biotechnology company ReNeuron Group PLC said Friday that it will delist its shares from the London Stock Exchange on Sept. 2 on the recommendation of its administrators, after remaining suspended for more than six months from the trading.
-
August 30, 2024
Plane Lease Co. Sells 2 Aircraft For $10M
U.K.-listed commercial passenger aircraft leasing company Avation PLC said Friday it has sold two short-haul aircraft to Danish Air Transport — also known as DAT A/S — for approximately $10 million, after repayment of various bank loans.
-
August 30, 2024
Sainsbury's To Buy 10 Homebase Stores For £130M
British grocery giant Sainsbury's said Friday that it has agreed to acquire 10 stores from garden supplies chain Homebase for approximately £130 million ($171.3 million) to convert them into supermarkets, increasing its footprint across England, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
-
August 30, 2024
Home REIT Sells 101 Properties For £18.5M
Home REIT PLC said Friday that it has sold more than 100 properties for £18.5 million ($24.4 million), as the struggling property investment trust looks to pay back its debts and inject working capital into the business.
-
August 29, 2024
Food Firm Greencore To Extend Share Buyback By £10M
Greencore Group PLC said Thursday that it planned to increase its ongoing £30 million ($40 million) share repurchase program by £10 million, further strengthening the food-to-go company's returns to investors.
-
August 29, 2024
Hogan Lovells-Led Paint Company Sells Silicas Biz For $310M
Hogan Lovells-advised paint company PPG on Thursday announced that it has agreed to sell its silicas business to Polish chemicals company Qemetica SA in a deal that would produce roughly $310 million in pre-tax proceeds.
-
August 29, 2024
I3 Energy Convenes Shareholders On £174M Takeover Bid
British oil and gas company i3 Energy PLC said Thursday that it has convened shareholder and court meetings for the approval of the approximately £174.1 million ($225.4 million) takeover offer by Canada-based international petroleum company Gran Tierra Energy Inc.
-
August 29, 2024
Pension Consolidator Would Be Useful, Broadstone Says
Proposals put forward by the previous government to launch a public sector consolidator of retirement savings plans run by the pensions lifeboat fund would be a "welcome addition" to the market, Broadstone said Thursday.
-
August 29, 2024
Builders' Merchant Grafton To Buy Back £30M Worth Of Shares
Grafton Group PLC started a share repurchase program on Thursday worth up to £30 million ($40 million), aimed at lowering its outstanding share capital, as the builders' merchant business reported a slump in profits.
-
August 29, 2024
White & Case Guides Mærsk Family's $840M Engines Biz Bid
The Mærsk family of Danish shipping magnates said on Thursday that it has made a $840 million offer for Swedish engine systems manufacturer Concentric AB to help it expand and develop products that will help reduce emissions.
-
August 29, 2024
Law Firm Can Use Client Comms To Fight Conspiracy Claim
A commercial law firm and its solicitor can fully plead their defenses against claims of conspiracy, a London court has ruled, finding that details of communication with clients are not limited by legal professional privilege because of a recently clarified legal exception.
-
August 28, 2024
John Wood To Sell Siemens JV And US Biz For $165M
John Wood said Wednesday that it has agreed to sell two of its noncore businesses in two separate deals, including one with Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP-led private equity firm One Equity Partners LP for total proceeds of £165 million ($218 million).
-
August 28, 2024
Ageas To Launch €200M Buyback, Hits Record €10B Inflow
Ageas said Wednesday it will launch a share repurchase program worth up to €200 million ($223 million) next month, as the Belgian multinational insurer reported that it had got a record of just over €10 billion from premiums paid by its customers.
-
August 28, 2024
Britvic Shareholders Approve £3.3B Takeover By Carlsberg
Shareholders at Britvic PLC have approved a proposed £3.3 billion ($4.4 billion) takeover deal by Danish brewer Carlsberg AS that aims to create a British beer and soft drinks giant.
-
August 28, 2024
Frasers Buys 15% Stake In Australian Sportswear Retailer
British sportswear retailer Frasers Group PLC said Wednesday that it has acquired a nearly 15% stake in its Australian peer Accent Group Ltd. for an undisclosed amount to expand its presence in Australia and New Zealand.
-
August 28, 2024
Netherlands Tech Biz To Buy Online Security Unit For €133M
Unifiedpost SA NV has agreed to sell its cybersecurity business in the Netherlands to Your.World BV, a technology investor based in the European country, for €133 million ($148 million) as the Belgian financial technology company moves to streamline its operations.
-
August 28, 2024
Swiss Life To Acquire Green Hydrogen Biz For $106M
The asset management arm of insurer Swiss Life will buy Everfuel AS of Denmark in a deal that values the green hydrogen producer at $106 million and will take it off of the Euronext Growth market, the companies said Wednesday.
-
August 27, 2024
Ryanair Kicks Off €800M Buyback On 'Strong Cash Position'
The owner of budget airline Ryanair launched a share buyback program worth up to €800 million ($894 million), as the carrier looks to further lower its outstanding share capital.
-
August 27, 2024
Bunzl To Return £250M To Shareholders After Strong Profit
Bunzl PLC said Tuesday that it has initiated a share buyback program to return up to £250 million ($331 million) to its shareholders as the packaging materials company announced strong financial results for the first half of the year.
-
August 27, 2024
Investment Biz To Quit London Junior Market, Return Capital
Troubled investment company Cambria Africa PLC said Tuesday that it is planning to remove its shares from trading on the junior investment market of the London Stock Exchange because of financial hardships.
-
August 27, 2024
BCLP Guides Fintech Plus500 On $110M Buyback Program
Plus500 Ltd. rolled out a $110 million share repurchase program Tuesday aimed at rewarding investors,which the financial technology business said reflects its "continued confidence" in its prospects.
-
August 27, 2024
Pinsent Masons Steers Insurer On £42M Pensions Deal
British insurer Just Group said on Tuesday that it has taken on pension liabilities valued at £42 million ($56 million) from a retirement savings plan sponsored by a British farmer-owned dairy co-operative, First Milk.
Expert Analysis
-
What M&A Uptick Will Mean For Legal Hiring
Thomson Reuters research reveals an improving macroeconomic picture of incoming interest rate cuts, and with market confidence in the new U.K. government, there is a higher corporate demand for transactional advice, leading law firms to increase their hiring in preparation for this heavier workload, says James Lavan at Buchanan Law.
-
Takeaways From First EU Foreign Subsidy M&A Investigation
The European Commission's recent investigation into Emirates Telecommunications' proposed acquisition of PPF Telecom is the first in-depth investigation of an M&A deal under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation, demonstrating that the regulation can have real consequences in practice that companies must consider at the outset of large transactions, says Matthew Hall at McGuireWoods.
-
Disclosure Takeaways From Superdry Restructuring Plan
Superdry’s recently approved restructuring plan is said to be the first of its kind accompanied by a capital raise, with the High Court of England and Wales’ interim judgment providing helpful guidance on disclosure requirements, say lawyers at King & Spalding.
-
EU Competition Report Spotlights Areas For Future Focus
The European Commission’s recent report on protecting competition highlights the importance of safeguarding innovation and preventing exploitative conduct by dominant firms, signaling that strong and focused law enforcement is to remain a priority with an even greater application of abuse-of-dominance rules, say Nicole Kar and Charlotte Mann at Paul Weiss.
-
Insurance Rulings Show Court Hesitancy To Fix Policy Errors
Two recent Court of Appeal insurance decisions highlight that policyholders can only overcome policy drafting errors and claim coverage if there is a very obvious mistake, emphasizing courts' reluctance to rewrite contract terms that are capable of enforcement, says Aaron Le Marquer at Stewarts.
-
Irish Businesses Should Act Now To Prepare For EU AI Act
Artificial intelligence is increasingly transforming the Irish job market, and proactive engagement with the forthcoming European Union AI Act, a significant shift in the regulatory landscape for Irish businesses, will be essential for Irish businesses to responsibly harness AI’s advantages and to maintain legal compliance, say lawyers at Pinsent Masons.
-
Unpacking The New Concept Of 'Trading Misfeasance'
In addition to granting one of the largest trading awards since the Insolvency Act was passed in 1986, the High Court recently introduced a novel claim for misfeasant trading in Wright v. Chappell, opening the door to liability for directors, even where insolvent liquidation or administration was not inevitable, say lawyers at Greenberg Traurig.
-
Opinion
The FTC Needs To Challenge The Novo-Catalent Deal
Novo's acquisition of Catalent threatens to substantially lessen competition in the manufacturing and marketing of GLP-1 diabetes and obesity drugs, and the Federal Trade Commission should challenge it under a vertical theory of harm, as it aligns with last year's merger guidelines and the Fifth Circuit decision in Illumina, says attorney David Balto.
-
Complying With EU Commission's Joint Purchasing Rules
One year after the European Commission released its revised guidelines on horizontal cooperation agreements, attorneys at Crowell & Moring reflect on the various forms such agreements can take, and how parties can avoid structuring arrangements that run afoul of competition law.
-
Tips For Implementing EU Sustainability Reporting Guidance
Lawyers at Sullivan & Cromwell discuss the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group’s recently published guidance on double materiality assessments and offer takeaways on achieving a sustainability directive-compliant process that could enhance clarity and consistency among multinational stakeholders.
-
What UK Digital Markets Act Will Mean For Competition Law
The new Digital Markets Act’s reforms will strengthen the Competition and Markets Authority's investigatory and enforcement powers across its full remit of merger control and antitrust investigations, representing a seismic shift in the U.K. competition and consumer law landscape, say lawyers at Travers Smith.
-
What French Watchdog Ruling Means For M&A Landscape
Although ultimately dismissed due to lack of evidence, the French competition authority’s recent post-closing review of several nonreportable mergers is a landmark case that highlights the increased complexity of such transactions, and is further testament to the European competition authorities’ willingness to expand their toolkit to address below-threshold M&As, say lawyers at Cleary.
-
Exploring The EU's Draft Standards On Crypto Authorization
The European Securities and Markets Authority’s recently published draft standards aim to promote fair competition and a safer environment for crypto providers and investors, detailing precisely the information to be provided to national authorities in charge of screening the acquisitions of a qualifying holding, says Mathieu de Korvin at Norton Rose.
-
What The New Digital Markets Bill Will Mean For Companies
The recently passed Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill will bring significant reform to U.K. merger control and antitrust rules for all businesses, but the introduction of a strategic market status regime and its reporting obligations means large tech organizations in particular need to think carefully about the forthcoming changes, say lawyers at Linklaters.
-
Insurance Ruling Stresses High Hurdle To Fix Policy Wording
In Project Angel v. Axis, the Court of Appeal recently refused to rewrite the exclusion clause of an insurance policy, reminding parties in the warranty and indemnity market to carefully word clauses, as there is a high threshold before courts will intervene to amend policies, say Joseph Moore and Laura McCann at Travers Smith.