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Transactions UK
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August 06, 2024
3 Firms Guide AI-Focused Semiconductor Maker's SPAC Deal
Special-purpose acquisition company byNordic Acquisition Corp. said Tuesday it plans to acquire and take public an artificial intelligence-focused subsidiary of Sivers Semiconductors AB through a deal advised by three law firms.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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."
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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August 02, 2024
Pinsent Masons-Led Oil Producer Backs Rival £26.4M Offer
Oil and gas company Trinity Exploration, which operates in Trinidad and Tobago, said Friday that it will not go ahead with the offer of approximately £24.1 million ($30 million) from Canadian rival Touchstone and will instead accept a new, competing £26.4 million bid.
Expert Analysis
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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CMA Reports Signal Tighter Scrutiny Of AI Model Markets
The Competition and Markets Authority’s recent reports on artificial intelligence foundation models suggest that competition in AI is not working as it should, so large digital firms can expect the regulator to use its full toolbox as it continues to monitor and investigate the sector, say lawyers at Cooley.
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How Gov't Response Addresses Investment Act Concerns
The government’s recently published response to a call for evidence on the National Security and Investment Act is largely appropriate to stakeholder concerns raised and demonstrates in its five areas of focus that it is willing to respond to live issues, say lawyers at Watson Farley.
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Pharma Remains A Key Focus Of EU Antitrust Enforcement
The recently published European Commission report on pharmaceutical sector competition law illustrates that effective enforcement of EU rules remains a matter of high priority for EU and national authorities, say lawyers at Dechert.
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The Dangers Of Providing Misleading Info In A Merger Review
Although Kingspan's recent proposed acquisition of Trimo, brought before the European Commission, was abandoned following investigation for an alleged breach of EU Merger Regulation requirements, it has brought to light the importance of submitting accurate and complete information in merger reviews to avoid incurring a substantial fine, say lawyers at Steptoe.