Mergers & Acquisitions

  • September 24, 2024

    ATI To Pay $31M In SPAC Merger Litigation Settlement

    An Illinois federal judge on Tuesday approved ATI Physical Therapy Inc.'s $31 million deal to resolve stockholder and derivative accusations that the company's top brass hid attrition issues to get shareholder approval of ATI's merger with Wilco Holding Inc.

  • September 24, 2024

    Chancery Told SwervePay Deserves Sanctions In Earnout Suit

    A court-appointed special magistrate has recommended sanctioning e-payment venture SwervePay and related parties over up to 22 months of missing or deleted text messages sought by SPOSC Investment Holdings and others in a post-merger battle over an alleged multibillion-dollar overstatement of "monetizable" payment traffic.

  • September 24, 2024

    DuPont Employee Defends Mass Email In ERISA Trial

    A DuPont employee was scrutinized on the witness stand Tuesday for the way a worker learned about how the chemical company's merger with Dow would impact their benefits, with a judge calling a heavily redacted trial exhibit useless and a plaintiffs' attorney quizzing her on basic email functions.

  • September 24, 2024

    Everton Finds New Buyer In US Billionaire

    The company controlled by U.S. billionaire businessman Dan Friedkin has agreed to take a majority stake in Everton Football Club in a move that comes after a prior Everton sale fell through amid legal troubles for the buyer.

  • September 24, 2024

    Dish Slams 'Entitled' Standard General Exec's Race Bias Suit

    Dish Network has called for sanctions against Soo Kim, his hedge fund Standard General and their attorneys, calling Kim's racial discrimination suit against Dish, the Federal Communications Commission and a collection of other media players "an expensive temper tantrum."

  • September 24, 2024

    7 Attys In M&A, Real Estate Join Jones Walker In New Orleans

    Jones Walker LLP announced that seven attorneys focused on mergers and acquisitions and real estate law from New Orleans firm Fishman Haygood LLP joined the firm's corporate practice.

  • September 24, 2024

    King & Spalding, Skadden Rep $1.7B DE Shaw-Macquarie Deal

    Australian investment firm Macquarie Asset Management, advised by King & Spalding LLP, on Tuesday announced that it has agreed to take a "significant" majority stake in renewable energy company D.E. Shaw Renewables Investment Group, led by Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP, for up to $1.73 billion.

  • September 24, 2024

    Bradley Hires Real Estate And Corporate Partner In Miss.

    Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP hired ex-Balch & Bingham LLP partner M. Patrick Everman as a partner for its real estate and corporate and securities teams in its office in Jackson, Mississippi, the firm announced.

  • September 24, 2024

    2nd Circ. Partly Revives Suit Over $18.5B Telehealth Deal

    The Second Circuit on Tuesday partially revived a suit against telehealth company Teladoc Health Inc. brought by investors who claim they were misled about the status of its integration with Livongo following their $18.5 billion merger.

  • September 24, 2024

    3 Firms Rep As Blackstone, Vista Ink $8.4B Smartsheet Buy

    Work management platform Smartsheet Inc. will be purchased by private equity giants Blackstone and Vista Equity Partners in an all-cash, take-private deal valued at around $8.4 billion that was built by three law firms, the companies said Tuesday.

  • September 24, 2024

    Smiths Group To Buy 2 North American Cos. For £110M

    Industrial technology company Smiths Group PLC said Tuesday that it has agreed to acquire a Canadian electrical heating business and a U.S. metal and flexible ducting manufacturer for a total of £110 million ($147 million), expanding its footprint in North America.

  • September 24, 2024

    Linklaters-Led Gulf Energy Biz To Buy Enviro Co. For $1.4B

    Abu Dhabi Future Energy Co. PJSC said Tuesday that it has agreed to buy green energy company Saeta Yield SA from Brookfield Renewable Partners LP of Canada for $1.4 billion, to strengthen its presence in Spain and Portugal. 

  • September 24, 2024

    Eversheds Sutherland-Led REIT In £147M Bid For Mall Owner

    NewRiver REIT said Tuesday that it has agreed to buy Capital & Regional PLC, a shopping mall owner, for £147 million ($197 million) as it aims to benefit from rental growth in the sector.

  • September 24, 2024

    Swisscom's €8B Vodafone Italia Deal Gets EU Clearance

    Swisscom AG said Tuesday that Europe's competition authority has cleared its proposed €8 billion ($8.9 billion) acquisition of Vodafone Group PLC's Italian business under the bloc's foreign subsidies rules.

  • September 23, 2024

    Albertsons Says Wash. AG 'Cherry-Picked' Merger Fears

    Counsel for Albertsons accused Washington regulators Monday of cherry-picking comments from the grocer's CEO hyping Kroger as key competition to bolster the government's case for blocking the merger and overcame the state's objections to introduce emails where the CEO expressed fears about Costco, Walmart and Amazon's ever-expanding reach.

  • September 23, 2024

    J&J Talc Claims Paused In Latest Spinoff Ch. 11

    A Texas bankruptcy judge Monday froze certain talc personal injury litigation against Johnson & Johnson, saying a three-week administrative stay will give the court time to decide key jurisdictional issues in the Chapter 11 case of Red River Talc LLC, a newly created J&J spinoff and the pharmaceutical and cosmetics giant's latest attempt to settle claims in bankruptcy that its baby powder caused cancer.

  • September 23, 2024

    Kroger Fights FTC's Bid To Move Constitutionality Case

    Kroger is fighting to keep its challenge to the Federal Trade Commission's in-house courts in Ohio federal court, pushing back against the agency's effort to get it paused or moved to Oregon, where the FTC's case against the company's merger with Albertson's is already playing out.

  • September 23, 2024

    Warner Bros. Fights To Keep NBA Streaming Suit In Court

    Warner Bros. Discovery, whose subsidiary has been a broadcast partner with the National Basketball Association since 1988, has told a New York state court that the league acted in bad faith in structuring its new $76.7 billion rights deal specifically to circumvent a contractual matching rights clause.

  • September 23, 2024

    Davis Polk Vows Ex-Clerk Won't Touch Crypto Merger Suit

    Local counsel for Galaxy Digital Holdings Inc. has told a Delaware vice chancellor that Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP will ensure that an incoming associate who clerked for the state's Supreme Court won't share information with attorneys defending the digital assets company in a merger suit that the state's highest court revived in May.

  • September 23, 2024

    Ex-Comtech CEOs Push For New Board, Strategic Changes

    Two former CEOs of Comtech Telecommunications Corp. are calling for a new board at the global technology company and are pushing the business to consider strategic options, including a potential sale of its public safety business, while noting that one of the CEOs had even offered to re-take the helm at the company without cash compensation.

  • September 23, 2024

    Paul Weiss Gains PE, M&A Partner From Ropes & Gray

    Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP has added to its mergers and acquisitions and private equity practice groups an attorney who previously worked for Ropes & Gray LLP and Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

  • September 23, 2024

    Tempur Sealy Sets Divestiture Plan Ahead Of FTC Court Battle

    Tempur Sealy International Inc. said Monday that it plans to sell 176 stores and seven distribution centers to Mattress Warehouse if it is able to close its planned $4 billion purchase of Mattress Firm Group Inc., in an effort to appease the Federal Trade Commission in its continued efforts to block the deal.

  • September 23, 2024

    UniCredit Boosts Commerzbank Stake To 21%, Eyes More

    Italian lender UniCredit said Monday that it has boosted its stake in German rival Commerzbank from 9% to 21% and is eyeing further investment as it appeared to be laying the groundwork for a possible full takeover.

  • September 23, 2024

    Clifford Chance-Led BNP To Buy HSBC Unit In Germany

    BNP Paribas SA said Monday that it has agreed to buy HSBC's private banking unit in Germany as part of its plans to expand its wealth management arm in a "key strategic market."

  • September 23, 2024

    Murdoch's REA Makes Higher £6.1B Offer For UK Property Biz

    Rupert Murdoch's Australian online real estate advertising company said Monday that it has made a sweetened proposed offer of £6.1 billion ($8.1 billion) for Rightmove PLC after the British property business rejected two earlier bids.

Expert Analysis

  • Dealmaker Lessons From CFIUS' New Enforcement Webpage

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    The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States’ recently launched webpage, which details the actions — and inactions — that led to enforcement activity, provides important insights for dealmakers about filing requirements, mitigation commitments and the cost of noncompliance, say attorneys at Dechert.

  • Presidents And Precedents May Direct Khan's Future Course

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    While the Sept. 25 technical expiration of Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan's term demands no immediate action, it does invite an analysis of commission policy and post-election possibilities, says Axinn's Richard Dagen, a former FTC official.

  • What To Expect From Calif. Bill Regulating PE In Healthcare

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    A California bill currently awaiting Gov. Gavin Newsom's approval, intended to increase oversight over private equity and hedge fund investments in healthcare, is emblematic of recent increased scrutiny of investments in the space, and may affect transactions and operations in California in a number of ways, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • Why Now Is The Time For Law Firms To Hire Lateral Partners

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    Partner and associate mobility data from the second quarter of this year suggest that there's never been a better time in recent years for law firms to hire lateral candidates, particularly experienced partners — though this necessitates an understanding of potential red flags, say Julie Henson and Greg Hamman at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.

  • Google And The Next Frontier Of Divestiture Antitrust Remedy

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    The possibility of a large-scale divestiture in the Google search case comes on the heels of recent requests of business breakups as remedies for anticompetitive conduct, and companies should prepare for the likelihood that courts may impose divestiture remedies in the event of a liability finding, say Lauren Weinstein and Nathaniel Rubin at MoloLamken.

  • Considering Possible PR Risks Of Certain Legal Tactics

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    Disney and American Airlines recently abandoned certain litigation tactics in two lawsuits after fierce public backlash, illustrating why corporate counsel should consider the reputational implications of any legal strategy and partner with their communications teams to preempt public relations concerns, says Chris Gidez at G7 Reputation Advisory.

  • 3 M&A Elements To Master In A Volatile Economy

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    The current M&A market requires a strategic approach to earnouts, past-due accounts payable and employee retention in order to mitigate risk and drive successful outcomes, says Robert Harig at Robbins DiMonte.

  • It's No Longer Enough For Firms To Be Trusted Advisers

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    Amid fierce competition for business, the transactional “trusted adviser” paradigm from which most firms operate is no longer sufficient — they should instead aim to become trusted partners with their most valuable clients, says Stuart Maister at Strategic Narrative.

  • Del. Dispatch: Drafting Lessons For Earnout Provisions

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    The Delaware Court of Chancery's recent decision in Medal v. Beckett Collectibles provides guidance for avoiding ambiguity in provisions relating to the acceleration of earnout payments under specified circumstances, and provisions mandating good faith negotiations before bringing earnout litigation, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

  • Tax Traps In Acquisitions Of Financially Distressed Targets

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Parties to the acquisition of an insolvent or bankrupt company face myriad tax considerations, including limitations on using the distressed company's tax benefits, cancellation of indebtedness income, tax lien issues and potential tax reorganizations.

  • New Lessons On Managing Earnout Provision Risks

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    Earnout provisions can be a useful tool for bridging valuation gaps in M&A, particularly in developmental-stage pharmaceutical transactions, but the Delaware Chancery Court’s recent decision in Shareholder Representative Services v. Alexion sheds new light on the inherent risks and best practices for managing them, say attorneys at Cleary.

  • SBA Proposal Materially Alters Contractor Recertification

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    The Small Business Administration's new proposed rule on recertification affects eligibility for set-aside contracts, significantly alters the landscape for mergers and acquisitions in the government contracts industry, and could have other unintended downstream consequences, says Sam Finnerty at PilieroMazza.

  • Navigating A Potpourri Of Possible Transparency Act Pitfalls

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    Despite the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's continued release of guidance for complying with the Corporate Transparency Act, its interpretation remains in flux, making it important for companies to understand potentially problematic areas of ambiguity in the practical application of the law, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • EU Merger Control Concerns Remain After ECJ Illumina Ruling

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    The recent European Court of Justice judgment in Illumina-Grail is a welcome check on the commission's power to review low-threshold transactions, but with uncertainty persisting under existing laws and discretion left to national regulators, many pitfalls in European Union merger control remain, says Matthew Hall at McGuireWoods.

  • Increased IPOs In '24 Shows Importance Of Strategic Planning

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    Initial public offerings, debt issuances and M&A activity so far in 2024 have shown substantial increases over comparable periods in 2023, highlighting why counsel should educate clients on market trends and financing alternatives to proactively prepare them to be ready to take advantage of opportunities, say attorneys at Skadden.

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