Mergers & Acquisitions

  • May 02, 2024

    Microsoft, Activision Seek Del. Court Patch For $68.7B Sale

    Microsoft Corp. and Activision Blizzard petitioned Delaware's Court of Chancery on Thursday for an order validating Activision's already closed but officially "defective" $68.7 billion sale agreement, arguing that the court pointed the two companies to a "solution for missteps in Delaware's General Corporation Law.

  • May 02, 2024

    ADM Investor Says Brass Misled About Growth, SEC Probe

    The current and former top brass of food processing company Archer-Daniels-Midland were hit with a derivative suit in Delaware federal court alleging they provided false information to investors about the company's growth and failed to disclose a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's investigation into its nutrition business.

  • May 02, 2024

    Activist Files New Proxy Fight In REIT Takeover Attempt

    Activist investor Blackwells Capital LLC continued its campaign against hospitality executive Monty J. Bennett by separately urging shareholders of Braemar Hotels & Resorts Inc. and an advisory firm that Bennett controls to approve a board shake-up during upcoming annual meetings.

  • May 02, 2024

    Conn. Gaming Co., Bingo Supplier Settle Soured Deal Suit

    A Connecticut gaming company and the bingo products supplier it accused of withholding assets it had promised to sell in a $1.2 million acquisition agreement settled their dispute the day before they began jury selection, according to a new notice filed in federal court.

  • May 02, 2024

    Investors Not Entitled To Info, Sequel Youth Tells Chancery

    A once-thriving chain of youth treatment facilities that came under scrutiny after a private equity firm bought it in 2017 urged Delaware's Court of Chancery on Thursday to toss a lawsuit from two former executives who demanded financial information about their "eviscerated" investments, arguing that the company didn't have to provide it.

  • May 02, 2024

    Immigrant Bond Co. Buyer Wants In On $811M Fine Appeal

    Libre Immigration Services has moved to intervene at the Fourth Circuit to fight an $811 million judgment against companies it recently acquired that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau sued over abusive immigrant bonding practices.

  • May 02, 2024

    Door Maker Asks To Undo Landmark Divestiture Order

    Door maker Jeld-Wen has asked a Virginia federal court to dismiss an order in a private merger challenge requiring it to sell a manufacturing plant, saying the landscape has changed since the landmark 2018 ruling.

  • May 02, 2024

    Plastic-Film Maker Announces $200M Recapitalization

    Plastic-film maker Transcendia Holdings announced Thursday that it had reached a recapitalization deal that will cut $200 million in debt, provide $114 million in new capital, and hand majority ownership of the company to private equity firm Industrial Opportunity Partners.

  • May 02, 2024

    Broadcast Cos. Demand Oversight Of Sports TV Joint Venture

    Broadcasters and competition advocates on Thursday pressed lawmakers to hold hearings on the pay-television industry, warning that a planned sports streaming venture between Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery threatens to "dominate" the market.

  • May 02, 2024

    Discover Ups Liability Costs For Card Pricing Issue To $1.2B

    Discover Financial Services has put a $1.2 billion price tag on remediation for its previously disclosed credit card pricing misclassification, which is now the subject of a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigation, representing an increase of nearly 230% from the $365 million liability it recorded nearly a year ago.

  • May 02, 2024

    Snell & Wilmer Adds Armstrong Teasdale Tech Pro In Denver

    Snell & Wilmer LLP's Denver outpost has added a new transactional partner to its corporate and securities team, bringing with him 18 years of experience including co-founding the technology transactions group for Armstrong Teasdale LLP and leading its technology industry group.

  • May 02, 2024

    Deals Rumor Mill: Coca-Cola, General Mills, MLB's Giants

    Coca-Cola is preparing an IPO for its African bottling division, cereals giant General Mills is exploring selling its North America yogurt business, and a 5% stake in the San Francisco Giants is up for sale at a price that could value the club at $4 billion. Here, Law360 breaks down these and other notable deal rumors from the past week.

  • May 02, 2024

    3 Firms Build Shutterstock's $245M Buy Of Creative Asset Co.

    Stock photography company Shutterstock Inc. on Thursday announced that it has agreed to buy digital creative asset and templates company Envato Pty. Ltd. in a $245 million cash deal built by three firms.

  • May 02, 2024

    Permira Takes Majority Stake In BioCatch At $1.3B Valuation

    European private equity shop Permira, advised by Latham & Watkins LLP, has taken a majority stake in BioCatch, a digital fraud detection and financial crime prevention company, valuing the Tel Aviv-headquartered business at $1.3 billion, according to a Thursday announcement.

  • May 02, 2024

    Freshfields-Led Novartis Inks $1.75B Cancer Drug Co. Buyout

    Novartis AG said Thursday it has agreed to buy U.S. radiopharmaceutical company Mariana Oncology in a transaction worth up to $1.75 billion, as the Swiss pharmaceutical giant moves to bolster its precision nuclear medicine portfolio.

  • May 02, 2024

    FTC Clears $60B Exxon Deal With Pioneer Executive Ban

    The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday cleared the way for the close of the $60 billion mega-merger between Exxon Mobil Corp. and Pioneer Natural Resources, subject to an agreement barring former Pioneer Natural Resources CEO Scott Sheffield from gaining a seat on Exxon's board. 

  • May 01, 2024

    Autonomy CEO's Atty Says Judge 'One-Sided' Against Client

    A Steptoe LLP partner representing former Autonomy CEO Michael Lynch in his criminal fraud jury trial accused the judge overseeing the case of making comments to the jury that are "one-sided" in a way that prejudices the defense.

  • May 01, 2024

    Republicans Say Bank Merger Reviews 'Need A Shot Clock'

    House Republicans on Wednesday raised concerns with federal banking officials about how long it can take their agencies to sign off on proposed bank mergers, a long-standing industry complaint that the lawmakers say a tight "shot clock" could help address.

  • May 01, 2024

    Sheppard Mullin Hires Paul Weiss Healthcare Antitrust Pro

    Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP said Wednesday that it has hired a counsel from Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP who is joining as partner in the firm's antitrust and competition practice group in New York.

  • May 01, 2024

    Future Is 'Bleak' If Judge Rejects Novant Merger, Court Hears

    Novant Health on Wednesday sought to portray itself as the "last best hope" to save two struggling hospitals in North Carolina at the start of a multiday hearing in which the Federal Trade Commission is asking the court to squelch Novant's proposed $320 million merger.

  • May 01, 2024

    Colorado Asks Judge To Review New Kroger Sales At Trial

    Kroger can't throw a new divestiture plan on the table two months before discovery closes and then ask the court to consider it when deciding whether to hand down a preliminary injunction blocking its $25 billion union with Albertsons from moving forward, the state of Colorado says.

  • May 01, 2024

    Eiger Gets Deal With Merck Over $46M Rare-Disease Drug Sale

    Bankrupt Eiger BioPharmaceuticals Inc. told a Texas federal judge Wednesday it had struck a tentative agreement with drug company Merck & Co. over licensing rights to a rare-disease drug that it is selling for $46.1 million.

  • May 01, 2024

    Del. Justices Reverse Toss Of $7.3B Inovalon Deal Challenge

    Delaware's top court on Wednesday reversed a Chancery Court dismissal of stockholder challenges to the $7.3 billion go-private sale of Inovalon Holdings Inc. to Nordic Capital, saying that the lower court wrongly concluded that minority investors were adequately informed about the deal and special committee conflicts of interest.

  • May 01, 2024

    Paramount Faces Chancery Suit Over Skydance Merger Moves

    The general treasurer of Rhode Island has sued Paramount Global in Delaware's Chancery Court for access to records regarding efforts to merge the mass media giant with Skydance Media, accusing Paramount's billionaire controller, Shari Redstone, of usurping company opportunities and tilting the terms and processes toward her own benefit.

  • May 01, 2024

    Willkie Lands Akin Gump M&A Pro In Houston

    Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP is expanding its Texas team, announcing Wednesday it is bringing in a mergers and acquisitions pro and energy expert from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP as a partner for its Houston office.

Expert Analysis

  • Industry Must Elevate Native American Women Attys' Stories

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    The American Bar Association's recent research study into Native American women attorneys' experiences in the legal industry reveals the glacial pace of progress, and should inform efforts to amplify Native voices in the field, says Mary Smith, president of the ABA.

  • Understanding Discovery Obligations In Era Of Generative AI

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Attorneys and businesses must adapt to the unique discovery challenges presented by generative artificial intelligence, such as chatbot content and prompts, while upholding the principles of fairness, transparency and compliance with legal obligations in federal civil litigation, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • The Case For Post-Bar Clerk Training Programs At Law Firms

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    In today's competitive legal hiring market, an intentionally designed training program for law school graduates awaiting bar admission can be an effective way of creating a pipeline of qualified candidates, says Brent Daub at Gilson Daub.

  • Attorneys Have An Ethical Duty To Protect The Judiciary

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    The tenor of public disagreement and debate has become increasingly hostile against judges, and though the legislative branch is trying to ameliorate this safety gap, lawyers have a moral imperative and professional requirement to stand with judges in defusing attacks against them and their rulings, says Deborah Winokur at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Cross-Market Implications In FTC's Anesthesia Complaint

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    The Federal Trade Commission's recent complaint against a private equity firm's acquisition of anesthesiology practices highlights the controversial issue of cross-market harm in health care provider mergers, and could provide important insights into how a court may view such theories of harm, say Christopher Lau and Dina Older Aguilar at Cornerstone Research.

  • AI Can Help Lawyers Overcome The Programming Barrier

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    Legal professionals without programming expertise can use generative artificial intelligence to harness the power of automation and other technology solutions to streamline their work, without the steep learning curve traditionally associated with coding, says George Zalepa at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Inside Bank Regulators' Community Lending Law Overhaul

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    The federal banking agencies' recently finalized changes to the Community Reinvestment Act not only account for the gradual shift to an environment where lending and deposit-taking are primarily conducted online, but also implement other updates such as diversity initiatives and a new series of lending tests, say attorneys at Norton Rose.

  • Preparing Law Students For A New, AI-Assisted Legal World

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    As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the legal landscape, law schools must integrate technology and curricula that address AI’s innate challenges — from ethics to data security — to help students stay ahead of the curve, say Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics, Ryan Abbott at JAMS and Karen Silverman at Cantellus Group.

  • Sellers Seeking Best Deal Should Focus On Terms And Price

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    Rising interest rates and a decline in the automotive mergers and acquisitions market mean that a failed deal carries greater stakes, and sellers therefore should pursue not only the optimum price but also the optimum terms to safeguard their agreement, says Joseph Aboyoun at Fox Rothschild.

  • General Counsel Need Data Literacy To Keep Up With AI

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    With the rise of accessible and powerful generative artificial intelligence solutions, it is imperative for general counsel to understand the use and application of data for myriad important activities, from evaluating the e-discovery process to monitoring compliance analytics and more, says Colin Levy at Malbek.

  • Competition Considerations From Biden's AI Executive Order

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    In light of President Joe Biden's recent executive order on artificial intelligence and the antitrust agencies' expansive enforcement posture, businesses in the technology and related industries should expect scrutiny, and avoid interactions that could be perceived as unlawful collaborations or exchange of competitively sensitive information, say attorneys at Hogan Lovells.

  • Tips For Avoiding Disputes From M&A Earnout Provisions

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    Attorneys at Freshfields review key Delaware cases to outline several important considerations that may reduce the risk of an earnout dispute arising from a merger agreement and help the parties navigate disputes when they do occur.

  • A Look At Successful Bid Protests In FY 2023

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    Attorneys at Sheppard Mullin look beyond the statistics in the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s recent annual report on bid protests, sharing their insights about nine categories of sustained protests, gained from reading every fiscal year 2023 decision in which the protester had a positive result.

  • Del. Dispatch: Refining M&A Terms After Twitter Investor Suit

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    The Delaware Court of Chancery's recent decision in Crispo v. Musk — invalidating a merger agreement provision that has been commonly used to disincentivize buyers from wrongful merger termination — should cause target companies to consider new approaches to ensure the payment of lost premium damages, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

  • Navigating Discovery Of Generative AI Information

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    As generative artificial intelligence tools become increasingly ubiquitous, companies must make sure to preserve generative AI data when there is reasonable expectation of litigation, and to include transcripts in litigation hold notices, as they may be relevant to discovery requests, say Nick Peterson and Corey Hauser at Wiley.

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