Transactions UK

  • July 31, 2026

    Rightmove Announces £350M Buyback To Cut Share Capital

    Rightmove unveiled Friday the imminent start of a share buyback program of up to £350 million ($471 million) in a move to lower its share capital and return surplus capital to investors.

  • July 31, 2026

    ITV Launches £100M Buyback After Securing £1.6B Sale Deal

    ITV PLC kicked off a share buyback program worth up to £100 million ($134 million) on Friday after it agreed earlier in July to sell its broadcast and streaming division to Sky Group for as much as £1.6 billion.

  • July 31, 2026

    FCA Sets Final Rules To Improve Share Data Transparency

    The Financial Conduct Authority released final rules Friday for a consolidated tape on U.K. shares in a package of reforms that includes changes to market structure and a new temporary market reporting tool.

  • July 31, 2026

    Motor Boss Wins Claim PE Biz Ousted Him From £200M Biz

    Private equity firm Freshstream "saved up" misconduct allegations against Big Motoring World founder Peter Waddell as part of a "pre-conceived and orchestrated plan" to remove him and take control of his multimillion-pound business, a London court ruled Friday.

  • July 31, 2026

    Court Cuts Damages Bill For Fraudulent Insurance Brokers

    Two former insurance bosses who misappropriated client funds in the run-up to a company sale saw the fraud damages awarded against them reduced by the Court of Appeal on Friday. 

  • July 31, 2026

    HSF Kramer Guides Sainsbury's Sale Of Argos For £120M

    Supermarket giant Sainsbury's said Friday it will sell retailer Argos Ltd. to a group of investors for £120 million ($161 million) to focus on its core grocery business.

  • July 31, 2026

    Energy Group Mol To Buy Shell Cyprus Unit For $720M

    Mol Group said Friday it has agreed to acquire Shell's BG Cyprus Ltd. for up to $720 million, marking the Hungarian energy company's largest exploration project in years and expanding its presence into the eastern Mediterranean gas sector.

  • July 31, 2026

    Gov't Urged To Overhaul Pension System Over US Tech Risk

    The U.K. requires sweeping reforms to its pension investment system, as the growing concentration of retirement savings in a handful of U.S. technology stocks poses a "systemic risk" to investors, a think tank has warned.

  • July 31, 2026

    Santander To Buy Remaining 10% Of Brazilian Unit For €1.9B

    Banco Santander SA said Friday that it will buy the remaining 10% of its Brazilian bank for up to €1.908 billion ($2.2 billion) in a share deal, adding that the transaction demonstrates its commitment to Latin America.

  • July 31, 2026

    Lloyds Launches £1B Buyback After Strong Performance

    Lloyds Banking Group PLC rolled out a share buyback program worth up to £1 billion ($1.34 billion) after it reported a boost in its pre-tax profit for the first half of the year.

  • July 31, 2026

    BP Preparing Sale Of North Sea Business In Strategy Revamp

    BP PLC said Friday it has put its North Sea business up for sale after six decades of operations, as industry groups urged the new prime minister to provide "certainty, stability and a policy framework" to prevent an exodus of employers from the region.

  • July 30, 2026

    3 Firms Advise On $1.3B Group 1 Deal For Hennessy Assets

    Group 1 Automotive said Thursday it has agreed to acquire the dealership assets and real estate of Hennessy Automobile Cos. in a transaction valued at about $1.3 billion, with Hill Ward Henderson and Vinson & Elkins LLP guiding Group 1, and Holland & Knight LLP advising Hennessy.

  • July 30, 2026

    Perenco Beats HMRC's Challenge Of £39M In Tax Allowances

    British oil company Perenco is entitled to tax allowances of £39 million ($52.5 million) on the purchase of BP oilfields even though it agreed to sell part of the sites to Premier Oil days later, a London tribunal ruled, rejecting a challenge by HM Revenue & Customs.

  • July 30, 2026

    Online Payment Biz Wins Back $12M Funds Held In Reserve

    Online payment company QuidPay on Thursday won its bid to get back funds worth more than $12 million held by a fintech platform, with a London judge finding the platform could not hold the funds as a reserve after contracts were terminated.

  • July 30, 2026

    LSE Owner Kicks Off £700M Stock Buyback After Profit Surge

    London Stock Exchange Group PLC began a stock repurchase program of up to £700 million ($940 million) on Thursday as the bourse owner disclosed a sharp jump in pretax profit for the first half of 2026.

  • July 30, 2026

    Sopra Steria Files 5th Claim Against DWP Over £1B Contract

    French technology consultant Sopra Steria has filed the latest in a string of legal challenges against the U.K. government over its failed bid to secure a £1 billion ($1.3 billion) HR systems contract.

  • July 30, 2026

    Shell Revives Share Buybacks With $4.2B Plan

    Shell began a $4.2 billion share buyback program on Thursday, resuming its plan to reduce its share capital after ARC Resources shareholders approved the British energy giant's $13.6 billion acquisition of the Canadian company.

  • July 30, 2026

    AI Investor Raises Initial $28.5M For Portfolio Of Tech Firms

    Shaires Holdings Ltd. said Thursday that it has raised $28.5 million from institutional shareholders to invest in private artificial intelligence and technology companies, including OpenAI and Anthropic.

  • July 30, 2026

    Pinsent Masons, Mayer Brown Lead £208M Pension Buy-In

    Trustees of the pension plan of chemicals company Hickson International PLC have completed a bulk purchase annuity buy-in worth £208 million ($278 million), pension investor Royal London Group said Thursday.

  • July 30, 2026

    CMS-Led Hammerson To Raise £190M After £218M Mall Deal

    Property investor Hammerson said Thursday that it has bought a 50% stake in a shopping center in Manchester for £218 million ($291 million) and has launched a £190 million equity issue to help pay for the acquisition.

  • July 29, 2026

    Barclays Starts £1B Buyback To Shrink Share Capital

    Barclays PLC said Wednesday it has launched a new share buyback program of £1 billion ($1.3 billion), a day after it posted a profit before tax of approximately £6 billion for the first half of 2026.

  • July 29, 2026

    Standard Chartered Announces $1B Share Buyback

    Standard Chartered announced the imminent start of a new $1 billion share buyback on Wednesday as the banking giant reported a strong performance for the first half of the year.

  • July 29, 2026

    UBS Unveils $3B Buyback With Strong 1st-Half Results

    UBS said Wednesday that it has launched a $3 billion share buyback program after the Swiss financial services giant reported a net profit of $5.8 billion for the first half of 2026.

  • July 29, 2026

    WTW Works With CMS On Simplified Longevity Insurance

    Insurance broker WTW has partnered with law firm CMS to establish a service aimed at broadening access to a £170 billion ($226 billion) longevity insurance market for smaller pension plans.

  • July 29, 2026

    Burges Salmon-Led Aston Martin Scheme Seals Aviva Deal

    Carmaker Aston Martin has completed a £180 million ($239 million) bulk purchase annuity buy-in, securing the pensions of almost 1,600 members, Aviva PLC said Wednesday.

Expert Analysis

  • Identifying Data Center Investment Challenges, Opportunities

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    The role of data centers is expanding, as are new opportunities for private capital investors, but there are issues to consider, including finance models and contract complexity, as well as power supply, cyber threat resilience and data sovereignty, say lawyers at Ropes & Gray.

  • Anticipating A Shift In CMA Merger Control Enforcement

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    As the Competition and Markets Authority outlines plans to put the U.K. government's growth objectives into action, the changes may well pave the way for a more permissive outlook for review of mergers and acquisitions in the U.K., say lawyers at A&O Shearman.

  • Saxon Woods Ruling Tightens Rules On Director Good Faith

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    The recent Court of Appeal judgment in Saxon Woods v. Costa departs from the High Court's ruling, clarifying that a director's sincere belief they have acted in the company’s best interests is not sufficient to satisfy the statutory requirement to act in good faith, say lawyers at Covington.

  • Key Takeaways As EU And UK Impose New Russia Sanctions

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    The European Union and U.K.’s new sanctions on Russia, designating increasing numbers of non-Russian companies in the defense and shipping sectors, mean that organizations must examine from the outset whether a transaction has any nexus with the EU or the U.K., say lawyers at Sullivan & Cromwell.

  • What New FCA Private Stock Market System Could Offer Cos.

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    While the Financial Conduct Authority’s new secondary private stock market system will bring more control and less ongoing regulatory compliance than a public market, but because the regime grants a significant degree of flexibility to operators it may be some time before a full operational picture emerges, says Iain Wright at Morgan Lewis.

  • EU Telecom Merger Ruling Unveils Foreign Subsidies Analysis

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    The European Commission’s recent publication of its decision approving e&’s acquisition of certain portions of PPF Telecom Group reveals its approach toward and procedural expectations for the European Union’s Foreign Subsidies Regulation, offering valuable guidance on how the commission will conduct future investigations, say lawyers at Goodwin.

  • What EU 'Killer Acquisition' Study Means For Pharma Deals

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    The European Commission’s recent study of pharmaceutical companies' acquisitions of emerging competitive threats, the first of its kind globally, has important implications for the industry, and may lead to increased awareness of merger control risks in collaborative agreements, say lawyers at Paul Weiss.

  • Tools For Effective Asset Tracking In Offshore Jurisdictions

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    In light of a technology company's recent allegations that its former CEO maintained an undisclosed interest in offshore companies, practitioners may want to refresh their knowledge of the tool kit available for tracing and recovering allegedly misappropriated assets from both onshore and offshore jurisdictions, say lawyers at Walkers Global.

  • Russia Sanctions Spotlight: Divergent Approaches Emerge

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    With indications of greater divergence and uncertainty in Russia sanctions policy between the U.K., European Union and U.S., there are four general principles and a range of compliance steps that businesses should bear in mind when assessing the impact of a potentially shifting landscape, says Alexandra Melia at Steptoe.

  • FCA Update Eases Private Stock Market Disclosure Rules

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    The Financial Conduct Authority’s recently updated proposals for the Private Intermittent Securities and Capital Exchange System would result in less onerous disclosure obligations for businesses, reflecting ongoing efforts to balance an attractive trading venue for private companies while maintaining sufficient investor protections, say lawyers at Debevoise.

  • FCA Bulletin Highlights Risks Of Leaking Inside M&A Info

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    The Financial Conduct Authority’s recent bulletin on the consequences of leaking sensitive information during transactions, warning that such disclosure may result in market abuse allegations, demonstrates the regulator’s determination to root out and penalize insider dealing, say lawyers at Cadwalader.

  • How CMA Is Responding To UK Gov't Pro-Growth Agenda

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    With the U.K. government’s recent call for the Competition and Markets Authority and other regulators to better support economic growth, the competition policy landscape is shifting materially toward an emphasis on a more proportionate and targeted approach to merger enforcement, say lawyers at Macfarlanes.

  • What Latest VC Model Document Revisions Offer UK Investors

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    Recent updates to the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association model documents, reflecting prevailing U.K. market practice on early-stage equity financing terms and increasing focus on compliance issues, provide needed protection for investors in relation to the growth in global foreign direct investment regimes, say lawyers at Davis Polk.

  • What Cos. Must Note From FCA Bulletin On Leaking M&A Info

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    The Financial Conduct Authority’s recent bulletin on strategic leaks in merger and acquisition transactions, as the second such publication in four months, acts as a warning for issuers and their advisers to tighten up their current policies for handling inside information, say lawyers at Herbert Smith.

  • Key Takeaways From The 2025 Spring Antitrust Meeting

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    Leadership changes, shifting priorities and evolving enforcement tools dominated the conversation at the recent American Bar Association Spring Antitrust Meeting, as panelists explored competition policy under a second Trump administration, agency discretion under the 2023 merger guidelines and new frontiers in conduct enforcement, say attorneys at Freshfields.

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