Mergers & Acquisitions

  • May 13, 2024

    Chancery Scuttles Unfair Pirate Ship Salvage Co. Merger

    Finding the deal "wholly devoid" of attempts at fairness, a Delaware vice chancellor has ordered the unwinding of a 2018 pirate treasure hunting and salvage company merger with an asset-holding affiliate, while also finding that delay and fading evidence have scuttled minority investor fiduciary breach claims.

  • May 13, 2024

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    Sunken treasure, recycled plastics, questionable denim and dog food all made appearances in Chancery Court dockets last week, along with developments in cases involving Qualcomm, Tesla Inc., and Truth Social. In case you missed it, here's the latest from Delaware's Chancery Court.

  • May 13, 2024

    Paul Weiss Adds Former Kirkland M&A Atty As Partner

    Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP said Monday that the firm has hired a former Kirkland & Ellis LLP mergers and acquisitions partner as a partner in its own M&A practice in New York.

  • May 13, 2024

    Car Paint Biz Buys Industry Peer In Up To $295M Deal

    Philadelphia-based coatings company Axalta Coating Systems on Monday unveiled plans to buy The CoverFlexx Group, which makes and sells coatings for automotive refinishing, from BakerHostetler-led Transtar Holding Co. for up to $295 million.

  • May 13, 2024

    Anglo American Rebuffs Improved £34B BHP Takeover Offer

    British miner Anglo American PLC said Monday that it has rejected a revised £34 billion ($42.7 billion) takeover bid by Australian heavyweight rival BHP Group Ltd., saying that the increased offer "significantly undervalues" the company.

  • May 13, 2024

    Simpson Thacher-Led EQT Bids $1.5B For Wind Energy Biz

    European private equity giant EQT said Monday that it has offered to acquire wind energy developer OX2 for approximately 16.35 million Swedish krona ($1.5 billion) in a deal guided by Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, Gernandt & Danielsson and Vinge KB.

  • May 13, 2024

    Skadden Guides Squarespace On $6.9B Go-Private Deal

    Squarespace Inc. said Monday it has agreed to a $6.9 billion buyout by private equity firm Permira, with Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP serving as lead counsel to the website building company and at least six additional firms guiding the various parties.

  • May 13, 2024

    Justices Won't Review Ch. 11 Stay In Asbestos Cases

    The U.S. Supreme Court won't review lower courts' decisions allowing the paper-products company Georgia-Pacific to remain shielded from mass tort litigation by way of a subsidiary's Chapter 11 case.

  • May 13, 2024

    Biz Adviser FRP Buys UK Risk Manager For £8.4M

    FRP Advisory said on Monday that it has bought commercial finance and risk manager Hilton-Baird for approximately £8.4 million ($10.5 million) in a cash and shares transaction, as the U.K. business consultancy eyes greater European expansion.

  • May 13, 2024

    French Retailer Casino Sells 10.15% Stake In Renewables Biz

    French retail chain Casino said on Monday that it has sold its 10.15% remaining stake in renewables company GreenYellow SAS for €46 million ($50 million) to Ardian, a private equity company, and state-backed investment bank Bpifrance.

  • May 13, 2024

    BetCity Says €850M Buyout Was Good Value Despite Inquiries

    The former owners of online sports betting operator BetCity admit that they breached some of the terms from Entain's €850 million ($920 million) buyout, but have argued that the gambling giant knew of the investigations and failed to seek a better deal.

  • May 10, 2024

    EV Startup Says California Settlement Covers Stockholder Suit

    Backers of a transaction that took electric vehicle startup Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc. public with a $1 billion value in 2021 have asked Delaware's Court of Chancery to block discovery in a stockholder challenge to the deal, citing pending settlement of a similar federal action in California.

  • May 10, 2024

    Everton Accepts Two-Point Penalty Over Financial Breaches

    Everton Football Club said Friday it will not fight the decision by the Premier League Independent Commission to impose a two-point deduction for its violation of the league's rules regarding financial viability, as the team faces a potential sale.

  • May 10, 2024

    Guess? Sued To Stop Founders' Alleged Pending Equity Grab

    A pension fund stockholder of Guess? Inc. has sued the company, its founders, and its board in Delaware's Court of Chancery, alleging "a covert attempt to strip the company's public stockholders of their contractual right to equal treatment" in connection with a merger or sale of Guess.

  • May 10, 2024

    Altman's Nuclear Fission Biz Fizzles After SPAC Deal Closes

    Shares of Oklo Inc., a nuclear-fission startup backed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, were down nearly 50% on Friday, the company's first day of trading after completing its merger with Altman's special-purpose acquisition company AltC Acquisition Corp.

  • May 10, 2024

    UK Opens Probe Into Thermo Fisher's $3.1B Olink Buy

    Britain's competition watchdog said it is opening an inquiry into Thermo Fisher's $3.1 billion bid to buy Swedish biotech firm Olink Holding AB over competition concerns, according to an official notice issued Friday.

  • May 10, 2024

    Ex-Pillsbury Communications Leader Joins Dickinson Wright

    Dickinson Wright PLLC announced that a longtime Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP attorney who previously served as chair of the firm's communications practice has joined its Washington, D.C., office as a member.

  • May 10, 2024

    Digital Platform Xtribe To Go Public Via $141M SPAC Merger

    Technology-driven marketplace company Xtribe PLC, advised by Cozen O'Connor PC, has announced plans to go public via a merger with Haynes and Boone LLP-led special-purpose acquisition company WinVest Acquisition Corp. in a deal that values Xtribe at an implied equity value of $141 million.

  • May 10, 2024

    2 Firms Guide United Bankshares On $267M Piedmont Buy

    Bowles Rice LLP and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP are representing United Bankshares Inc. on a $267 million agreement to buy Georgia-based Piedmont Bancorp Inc., which the lenders disclosed Friday and said marks United's 34th acquisition.

  • May 10, 2024

    Climate Control Co. Favors Apollo-Backed €392M Buyout Bid

    European climate control specialist Purmo said on Friday its board intends to recommend its purchase by a special purpose vehicle indirectly owned by U.S. private equity giant Apollo Global Management and Rettig, a Finnish investment company, for approximately €392 million ($422 million or £337.5 million).

  • May 10, 2024

    Sanofi, Novavax Sign $1.2B Deal For One-Shot COVID, Flu Jab

    Sanofi and U.S. vaccine developer Novavax Inc. said on Friday that the French pharmaceutical company has bought a co-exclusive licensing agreement worth up to $1.2 billion, part of a collaboration to create a combined global COVID-19 and influenza shot.

  • May 09, 2024

    FTC Says Handbag Cos. Have Info Needed To Defend $8B Deal

    The Federal Trade Commission assailed Tapestry and Capri on Wednesday for demanding more details on the market allegedly threatened by their planned $8.5 billion merger, which would pair the parent company of Coach and Kate Spade with that of Versace and Michael Kors, arguing the firms have the information they need.

  • May 09, 2024

    Ex-Minor Leaguer Settles With SEC Over Del Taco Deal Tip Off

    A former minor league baseball player has agreed to pay more than $58,000 to resolve U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission insider trading allegations involving burger chain Jack in the Box's $575 million acquisition of its fellow chain Del Taco.

  • May 09, 2024

    Skadden-Led Firm Nets $250M In May's Second SPAC Listing

    GP-Act III Acquisition Corp., a Skadden-led special-purpose acquisition company backed by multiple private investment firms, began trading on Thursday after completing a $250 million initial public offering, marking the second SPAC listing this month in an otherwise battered market.

  • May 09, 2024

    Policies Bar Origis Investor Suit Coverage, Del. Judge Finds

    A Delaware Superior Court judge dismissed most insurers from a renewable energy company and its now-former CEO's action seeking coverage for an underlying investor suit over devalued shares, saying Thursday that a "no action" clause in one set of policies and a prior acts exclusion in another preclude coverage.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    Activist Short-Sellers Are The Dark Knights Of Wall Street

    Author Photo

    While so-called activist short-sellers have been subject to increased scrutiny in recent years, these investors work in the shadows like Batman to expose fraud on Wall Street, often generating leads that may move regulators to take action, say attorneys at Labaton Sucharow.

  • Series

    Writing Thriller Novels Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Authoring several thriller novels has enriched my work by providing a fresh perspective on my privacy practice, expanding my knowledge, and keeping me alert to the next wave of issues in an increasingly complex space — a reminder to all lawyers that extracurricular activities can help sharpen professional instincts, says Reece Hirsch at Morgan Lewis.

  • What Lawyers Must Know About Calif. State Bar's AI Guidance

    Author Photo

    Initial recommendations from the State Bar of California regarding use of generative artificial intelligence by lawyers have the potential to become a useful set of guidelines in the industry, covering confidentiality, supervision and training, communications, discrimination and more, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Industry Must Elevate Native American Women Attys' Stories

    Author Photo

    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
    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Mergers & Acquisitions archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!