Try our Advanced Search for more refined results
Transactions UK
-
August 13, 2024
Davis Polk Hires PE Pro From A&O Shearman In London
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP said Tuesday that it has hired a private equity specialist from Allen Overy Shearman Sterling as a partner in its London corporate practice as the U.S. firm looks to seize "ripe" opportunities for growth in the City.
-
August 06, 2024
Luxembourg Telecoms Biz Weighs Investor's New $4.4B Bid
Millicom said Tuesday that a committee of independent directors is reviewing a revised $4.4 billion offer made by Atlas Investissement, after the Luxembourg-based telecommunications company rejected a $4.1 billion bid in July.
-
August 06, 2024
Eversheds Steers Sale Of Kodak Unit By Pensions Lifeboat
The U.K. Pension Protection Fund has sold a business unit of photography giant Kodak to U.S. private equity firm Kingswood Capital Management in a deal steered by Eversheds Sutherland and Kirkland & Ellis LLP.
-
August 06, 2024
Domino's Serves Up £20M Share Buyback To Trim Capital
Domino's Pizza Group PLC began a share repurchase program of up to £20 million ($25 million) on Tuesday, aimed at trimming its outstanding share capital.
-
August 06, 2024
Estonian Investor Infortar Ups Stake In Shipper To 68%
AS Tallink said Tuesday that Estonian investment company AS Infortar has increased its stake in the Baltic Sea shipper to over 68% as a result of a €388 million ($423 million) voluntary takeover offer it announced in June.
-
August 06, 2024
Tate & Lyle Sugar Biz Deal Gets Provisional UK Nod
Britain's competition authority said Tuesday that it has provisionally cleared Tate & Lyle's planned acquisition of the U.K. business of Tereos, dissolving earlier antitrust concerns after it found that the loss-making producer of agricultural raw materials would probably fold if the deal does not go ahead.
-
August 06, 2024
Brown & Brown Buys Trade Credit Insurance Specialist
Brown & Brown (Europe) Ltd. said Tuesday that it has bought trade credit insurance broker The CI Group Holdings Ltd. to expand its services for lenders and the small and midsized businesses in the U.K.
-
August 05, 2024
Freshfields, Wachtell Guide $925M CVC, Mallinckrodt Deal
Dublin-based pharmaceutical company Mallinckrodt has inked a deal to sell its immunotherapy business Therakos to Luxembourg-based private equity firm CVC Capital Partners for $925 million, Mallinckrodt said in a Monday statement.
-
August 05, 2024
David Beckham-Backed Gaming Biz Announces Takeover Deal
Guild Esports PLC, a sports video game business co-owned by David Beckham, announced Monday it has inked a letter of intent for its proposed takeover by American investment manager DCB Sports LLC for an undisclosed sum.
-
August 12, 2024
Kirkland Hires M&A Pro From Latham For New Frankfurt Office
Kirkland & Ellis LLP said Monday that it has recruited the head of Latham & Watkins LLP's corporate practice in Europe as part of its plans to launch a new office in Frankfurt, the latest in a wave of high-profile departures from the German operations of the U.S. giant.
-
August 05, 2024
Touchstone Weighs Options As Rival Swoops To Buy Oil Biz
Canadian oil and gas company Touchstone on Monday urged the shareholders of Trinity Exploration to not take any action in response to rival Lease Operators' superior £26.4 million ($33.7 million) bid.
-
August 05, 2024
Glencore Ordered To Pay $152M In Swiss Bribery Case
Switzerland's federal prosecutor ordered commodities trader and miner Glencore on Monday to pay $152 million for failing to prevent bribery linked to the acquisition by a business partner of minority stakes in two mining companies in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2011.
-
August 05, 2024
3 Firms Guide $1.75B Thoughtworks-Apax Deal, Stock Soars
Chicago-based Thoughtworks said it will be sold to British private equity firm Apax Partners LLP at a roughly $1.75 billion enterprise value, a deal that sent the technology consultancy's stock soaring more than 25% on Monday morning.
-
August 05, 2024
Clinical Trials Biz HVIVO To Quit Euronext, Focus On AIM
Vaccines testing firm hVIVO PLC said Monday it plans to cancel its listing on the Euronext Dublin bourse to consolidate trading its stock on London's junior alternative investment market AIM, a move it believes will also shave off some expenses.
-
August 05, 2024
SocGen Sells 2 Banking Units To Swiss Bank For €900M
Societe Generale said Monday that it has agreed to sell two of its private banking subsidiaries in the U.K. and Switzerland to a Swiss bank for €900 million ($990 million), as well as all its business in Madagascar, in a move to streamline its business.
-
August 05, 2024
Royal London Plans Broader Entry Into Pension Deals Market
Insurance giant Royal London said it plans to enter the wider bulk annuity market in 2024 after insuring two of its own staff pension plans.
-
August 05, 2024
Sidara Pulls £1.6B John Wood Bid, Cites Geopolitical Risk
Engineering consultancy Sidara has pulled its £1.6 billion ($2 billion) proposed takeover offer for British rival John Wood because of "geopolitical risks and financial market uncertainty," the companies said Monday.
-
August 05, 2024
Latham Helps Woodside Buy Clean Ammonia Biz For $2.4B
Australian oil and gas giant Woodside Energy will buy OCI NV's low-carbon ammonia facility in Texas for $2.35 billion in cash to help with its transition to cleaner forms of energy, the companies said Monday.
-
August 02, 2024
British Air Parent Drops Air Europa Deal Due To EU Scrutiny
British Airways' parent company has abandoned its €400 million ($436 million) plan to buy the rest of Air Europa from Spanish tourism company Globalia amid pushback from European competition authorities, telling investors that the merger was "no longer probable."
-
August 02, 2024
Property Investor Denies Hiding Info From Franchise Buyers
A real estate investment scheme's former owner has hit back at a £6.4 million ($8.1 million) counterclaim by the management consultancy that acquired it, saying in London court documents that he did not conceal any important information and that he had not breached any agreement.
-
August 02, 2024
Taxation With Representation: Sullivan, Dechert, Kirkland
In this week's Taxation With Representation, BNP Parabis SA acquires an investment management subsidiary for €5.1 billion, Cleveland accounting firm CBIZ merges with competitor Marcum for $2.3 billion, and Arcosa Inc. inks a deal with a family-owned construction materials business for $1.2 billion.
-
August 02, 2024
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London
This past week in London has seen insurance broker Marsh sue the collapsed Greensill Bank, the former chair of the Islamic Students Association of Britain pursue a defamation case against the Jewish Chronicle, Berkshire Hathaway and Lloyd's face action from a shipping company, and alleged fraudster Ronald Bauer hit a loan company with a claim. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.
-
August 02, 2024
Home REIT Sells 226 Properties For £26.5M
Struggling real estate investment trust Home REIT PLC said Friday that it has sold approximately 9% of its portfolio of properties for gross proceeds of £26.5 million ($34 million) to reduce its debts and provide capital for its operations.
-
August 02, 2024
Top UK Court To Hear HMRC Car Park Tax Dispute With NHS
HM Revenue and Customs has been granted permission by Britain's highest court to challenge a ruling that a National Health Service trust qualified for value-added tax exemption for hospital car parking, a decision that could affect appeals brought by NHS entities.
-
August 02, 2024
Iberdrola To Buy 88% Of UK Electric Power Co. In $5.5B Deal
Spanish electric utility company Iberdrola said Friday it plans to buy 88% of Electricity North West in a deal that values the British electric power network at roughly €5 billion ($5.5 billion), including debt.
Expert Analysis
-
Opinion
Thomas Report Is Final Straw — High Court Needs Ethics Code
As a recent report on Justice Clarence Thomas' ongoing conflicts of interest makes evident, Supreme Court justices should be subject to an enforceable and binding code of ethics — like all other federal judges — to maintain the credibility of the institution, says Erica Salmon Byrne at Ethisphere.
-
Ofwat's New Guidance For Water Projects: Key Takeaways
While increased competition is a laudable aim, the U.K. Water Services Regulation Authority's introduction of direct procurement for customers by default for projects above a size threshold could have ramifications for the financial stability of the companies delivering major water infrastructure, say Jennifer Charles and Marianne Anton at Watson Farley.
-
Court Ruling Strengthens EU Stance On Non-Notifiable M&A
The recent European Union Court of Justice's decision in Towercast can be seen as part of a pattern of increasingly rigorous scrutiny of M&A, and provides scope for greater intervention by national competition authorities on acquisitions by dominant companies that do not meet the EU or national merger control thresholds for notification, say attorneys at Herbert Smith.
-
How Changes To 'Acting In Concert' Will Affect UK Takeovers
The recent changes made to the rules by the U.K. Takeover Panel on who is presumed to be acting in concert will be of most interest to parties proposing to make a bid for a U.K. listed company, and give welcome clarity as to how the U.K. takeover regime operates, say attorneys at Herbert Smith.
-
Key Points In Draft EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation
The draft implementing regulation on EU foreign subsidy control provides eagerly awaited guidance on the submission of mandatory notifications, but there are still many open questions, say Paul van den Berg and Merit Olthoff at Freshfields.
-
ClientEarth Claim May Expand Scope Of Directors' Duties
In using litigation to hold Shell’s board of directors to account for failing to properly prepare for the net-zero transition, ClientEarth’s actions represent a shift in climate change activism strategy and an unprecedented application of directors’ duties as a mechanism to drive change, say Marlene Henderson and Danielle De Val at Browne Jacobson.
-
Volatile Energy Prices Complicate Int'l Arbitration Damages
In the turbulent global energy market, international arbitration is a crucial tool for resolving cross-border disputes — but determining how, if at all, to account for recent energy price spikes when quantifying damages presents many challenges for tribunals, say attorneys at White & Case.
-
A Breakdown Of The SRA's Proposed New Fining Powers
Thanks to the Solicitors Regulation Authority's pending new fining framework, which includes guidance on unsuitable fines and a fixed penalties scheme for low-level breaches, firms can expect to see more disciplinary findings leading to an SRA fine rather than referral to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, say Graham Reid and Shanice Holder at RPC.
-
Merger Ruling Shows Risk Of Not Seeking Prior CMA Approval
The recent decision by the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority to unwind the acquisition by Cerelia Group of Jus-Rol demonstrates that despite the voluntary nature of the U.K. reporting regime, parties may wish to consider the potential for wider scrutiny when deciding whether to seek merger control clearance, say attorneys at Hogan Lovells.
-
Warranty & Indemnity Insurance Considerations For M&A
With increased competition and greater capacity leading to lower premiums and deal costs, warranty and indemnity insurance is now available to the wider M&A market, and may help to limit risk and help parties focus on other key elements of the transaction, says Alice Wooler at Birketts.
-
What The Dignity Takeover Deal Says About M&A Trends
While some public companies may prefer to go private to maximize company growth and shareholder returns, there are potential pitfalls and in the current uncertain economic climate pairing up between private equity and public entities is likely to increase, as evidenced by the recent Dignity takeover deal, says James Lyons at Lawrence Stephens.
-
How Geopolitical Change Is Affecting M&A Activity In Europe
Several factors are leading businesses to divest from Russia and invest in central and Eastern European EU member states, with particular sectors attractive to U.K. companies and certain trends in M&A transactional activity emerging, says Oksana Howard at Colman Coyle.
-
Discovery Blocking Reform Better Protects French Companies
The 2022 reforms to France's 1968 blocking statute gives French companies more tools to resist abusive discovery requests from foreign competitors and public agencies, but France should do more to defend confidential information and assert its sovereignty, says Raphael Gauvain at Betto Perben.
-
A Look At New Vertical Laws, Their Opportunities And Pitfalls
Looking at trends that have gained the most traction under the new vertical laws in the EU and U.K., it is clear that brands should use the transition period wisely, ensuring that lessons have been learned on what to avoid and that go-to-market strategies are future-proof, say attorneys at K&L Gates.
-
Why 2023 Could Be The Year Of The Restructuring Plan
As U.K. businesses face a challenging economic environment going into 2023, the stage may be set for a rise in restructuring plans, with early signs such as an increasing body of case law, the pragmatic approach taken by the judiciary to date and the cross-class cramdown mechanism, say Rachael Markham and Charlotte Møller at Squire Patton.