Transactions UK

  • March 25, 2024

    Man Denies Conspiring Against Game Host's Ex-Biz Partner

    A man accused of conspiring with convicted HBOS fraudster Mark Dobson to acquire a company from the ex-business partner of TV personality Noel Edmonds by undervaluing it has denied that any plot existed.

  • March 25, 2024

    Qualcomm Halts Plan To Buy Israeli Biz Under Regulatory Heat

    The Federal Trade Commission is celebrating Qualcomm's decision to abandon its attempts at acquiring an Israeli company that makes chips that allow vehicle-to-vehicle communication after too much regulatory pushback.

  • March 25, 2024

    Virgin Seeks Full $200M In Train Brand Feud After $115M Win

    Virgin Enterprises Ltd. has sued Brightline Holdings LLC for the full $200 million exit fee for backing out of its train brand licensing deal after already winning $115 million, arguing in documents made public on Monday that it's owed a boosted exit fee because of a change in control of the U.S. rail operator.

  • March 25, 2024

    Novo Nordisk Inks $1.1B Deal For German Pharma Biz

    Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk A/S said Monday it has signed a deal to acquire Cardior Pharmaceuticals of Germany for just over €1 billion ($1.1 billion) to widen its focus on cardiovascular diseases.

  • March 25, 2024

    Taseko To Become Sole Owner Of Copper Mine In $105M Deal

    Mining company Taseko said Monday that it has agreed to acquire the remaining interest in the second-largest copper mine in Canada for up to $142 million Canadian dollars ($105 million).

  • March 25, 2024

    PE Firms Fuel 30% Rise In 2023 European Insurance M&A

    The number of deals involving European insurance businesses rose by 30% last year, fueled by an increased role of private equity financing in the sector, a consultancy said Monday.

  • March 25, 2024

    Communications Biz To Return £35M To Shareholders

    Gamma Communications PLC unveiled on Monday a share repurchase program of up to £35 million ($44 million) aimed at lowering its outstanding share capital and rewarding investors as the company reported a surge in pretax profits.

  • March 25, 2024

    DLA Piper, Clifford Chance Guide £44M Sale Of London Asset

    Property investment firm Helical PLC said Monday that it has agreed to sell a London office building to an affiliate of investment manager Ares Management for £43.5 million ($55 million) in a deal led by Clifford Chance LLP and DLA Piper.

  • March 25, 2024

    EU Says Lufthansa Deal Could Harm Air Transport Competition

    Europe's antitrust authority said on Monday that Lufthansa's plan to buy a 41% stake in ITA Airways for €325 million ($352 million) could lead to higher prices and poorer service for passengers taking flights in and out of Italy.

  • March 25, 2024

    Ageas Drops £3.2B Direct Line Offer After Pushback

    Belgian-French insurer Ageas has pulled its £3.2 billion ($4 billion) proposed bid for Direct Line after the British rival continued to snub its offers.

  • March 25, 2024

    KKR To Complete £1.3B Takeover, Delist Smart Metering Co.

    Private equity giant KKR said Monday that it will complete its £1.3 billion ($1.6 billion) takeover of a British energy infrastructure company and take its shares off the London Stock Exchange.

  • March 22, 2024

    JPMorgan Gets Early Trial On US Regs In Viva Wallet Dispute

    J.P. Morgan on Friday was granted an expedited London trial on some of the issues in its warring claims with the founder of a Greek payment company co-owned by the investment bank over the fintech business' value.

  • March 22, 2024

    Money Laundering Ringleader Jailed For £560K Bank Con

    A fraudster who set up sham carpet and furniture businesses as part of a money laundering scheme that lost banks £560,000 ($705,000) has been jailed for six years and four months, the U.K.'s Insolvency Service said Friday.

  • March 22, 2024

    UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

    This past week in London has seen the BBC and Wall to Wall Media hit with a passing off lawsuit by musician BOSSIIE, Poundland parent company Pepco Group file a commercial fraud claim against several mobile network giants, family law specialists Alexiou Fisher Philipps LLP start proceedings against former oil trader Michael Prest, and a transgender lawyer file a libel claim against a blogger. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • March 22, 2024

    Galderma Starts Trading In Switzerland After Pricing IPO

    Private equity-backed Swiss skincare company Galderma Group AG began trading publicly Friday after pricing its $2.4 billion initial public offering, marking the next stage of its growth trajectory.

  • March 22, 2024

    James Fisher To Sell Unit To Texas Co. For £90M

    Offshore oil and gas services company James Fisher said Friday it is selling one of its non-core businesses to U.S. drilling technology company ChampionX Corp. for £90 million ($113 million) to simplify its portfolio.

  • March 22, 2024

    Supermarket Landlord Snaps Up Tesco Store For £34.7M

    Supermarket Income REIT PLC said on Friday it has bought a Tesco store for £34.7 million ($44 million), after recently reporting a leap in its operating profits.

  • March 22, 2024

    Eversheds, Addleshaw Guide Tissue Cos. In £128M Deal

    Portuguese paper and pulp producer The Navigator and British tissue maker Accrol Group on Friday agreed on the terms of a deal led by Eversheds Sutherland and Addleshaw Goddard LLP under which Navigator will acquire Accrol for approximately £127.5 million ($161 million).

  • March 22, 2024

    KKR Becomes Controlling Shareholder In Smart Meter Co.

    KKR said Friday that it has "significant control" over a British energy infrastructure company after more than 60% of shareholders tendered their shares to the U.S. private equity giant under a £1.3 billion ($1.6 billion) takeover offer.

  • March 22, 2024

    UK Says £16.5B Vodafone-Three Deal May Hurt Consumers

    Britain's antitrust authority said Friday that plans by Vodafone and Three to merge their U.K. telecommunications networks to create a £16.5 billion ($20.8 billion) mobile operator could lead to higher prices for consumers.

  • March 21, 2024

    Avoid Major Extension Of Merger Reach, EU High Court Urged

    An important tool for extending European Union antitrust officials' merger scrutiny appears to be in jeopardy after a European Court of Justice advocate general effectively recommended Thursday that the bloc's high court restrict the ability to investigate transactions that don't normally trigger EU thresholds.

  • March 21, 2024

    Events Biz Ascential Eyes £400M Share Repurchase Program

    Ascential PLC said on Thursday it will launch share buyback programs worth up to a combined £400 million ($507 million), as part of an £850 million plan following the sale of its two subsidiaries.

  • March 21, 2024

    Software Biz Aptitude Rolls Out £20M Share Buyback Program

    Aptitude Software Group PLC on Thursday launched an up to £20 million ($25 million) share repurchase scheme aimed at lowering its outstanding share capital and rewarding shareholders.

  • March 21, 2024

    Activist Investor Rips 'Misguided' Strategy Of WisdomTree

    Activist investor ETFS Capital on Thursday urged shareholders of WisdomTree to withhold their votes from the asset management firm's board members at an upcoming shareholder meeting due to the company's "failed diversification strategy" and refusal to initiate a strategic review process.

  • March 28, 2024

    White & Case Hires 2nd Funds Pro From Ropes & Gray

    White & Case LLP has recruited a private funds lawyer from Ropes & Gray LLP — the second time it has hired a specialist as a partner from the London office of its U.S. rival in recent months.

Expert Analysis

  • UK Takeover Code Changes: Key Points For Bidders, Targets

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    Newly effective amendments to Rule 21 of the U.K. Takeover Code, which remove legal and administrative constraints on a target operating its business in the ordinary way during an offer, will add clarity for targets and bidders, and are likely to be welcomed by both, say lawyers at Davis Polk.

  • EU Rejection Of Booking.com Deal Veers From Past Practice

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    The European Commission's recent prohibition of Booking's purchase of Etraveli based on ecosystem theories of harm reveals a lower bar for prohibiting nonhorizontal mergers, and may mean increased merger scrutiny for companies with entrenched market positions in digital markets, say lawyers at Linklaters.

  • What Lawyers Can Learn From FDI Screening Report Findings

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    The recent European Commission report on the screening of foreign direct investments into the EU reveals how member states need to balance national security concerns with openness, and with more cross-border transactions subject to screening, lawyers must be alert to jurisdictional variances, says Jonathon Gunn at Faegre Drinker.

  • UK Review May Lead To Lower Investment Screening Burden

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    The government’s current review of national security investment screening rules aims to refine the scope of mandatory notifications required for unproblematic deals, and is likely to result in much-needed modifications to minimize the administrative burden on businesses and investors, say lawyers at Simpson Thacher.

  • Tools M&A Deal Makers Can Use To Bridge Valuation Gaps

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    As macroeconomic headwinds reset valuation expectations, parties to merger and acquisition are increasingly looking to methods such as earnouts, vendor financing and minority transactions to bridge the valuation gap and get deals done, says Philip Herbst at Cleary.

  • Takeaways From The CMA's Green Collaboration Guidance

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    Recently published Competition and Markets Authority guidance on the application of competition law to environmental sustainability agreements should remove barriers for businesses that want to collaborate on environmental sustainability without breaking the law, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.

  • What The Anti-Coercion Instrument Will Bring To The EU

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    Vassilis Akritidis and Jean-Baptiste Blancardi at Crowell & Moring discuss why the European Union recently adopted a report on the anti-coercion instrument to reform its trade legislation, how the instrument will be used to respond to unfair economic pressure from third countries, and how businesses can impact the EU's decision making.

  • CMA Report On AI May Lead to Greater Competition Control

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    The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority’s recent report on artificial intelligence foundation models is a sign that developers could face increased merger control and antitrust enforcement, and businesses should be mindful of these views to ensure that their models do not come under investigation, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Recent Trends In European ESG-Related Shareholder Activism

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    New ESG reporting standards in the European Union, as well as recent climate change, board diversity and human rights cases, illustrate how shareholder activism may become more prominent in years to come as regulation and investor engagement continues to strengthen, say lawyers at Debevoise.

  • Employer Due Diligence Lessons From Share Scheme Case

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    The Scottish Court of Session recently confirmed in Ponticelli v. Gallagher that the right to participate in a share incentive plan transfers to the transferee, highlighting the importance for transferee employers to conduct comprehensive due diligence when acquiring workforce, including on arrangements outside the employment contract's scope, say lawyers at McDermott.

  • 4 Compliance Considerations Under FCA Consumer Duty

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    Following the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority's recent introduction of the new consumer duty regime, firms will need to be mindful of data protection implications when managing their compliance with the duty and data protection legislation, say lawyers at Bird & Bird.

  • How The UK Investment Screening Regime Is Taking Shape

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    A recent order imposing remedies on an acquisition by EDF Energy highlights emerging trends in the U.K. government's national security reviews of transactions under the U.K. National Security and Investment Act, and shows how the U.K. remedy landscape compares to the U.S. regime, say lawyers at Arnold & Porter.

  • EU Antitrust Rules Set To Pose Challenges To US Businesses

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    With stark differences between U.S. and European Union antitrust regimes, and potential for the forthcoming EU guidelines to turbocharge the commission's appetite for intervention, it is important that U.S. businesses with activities in the region take note of the reforms, say Andrea Pomana and Sarah Wilks at Mayer Brown.

  • German Competition Law May Herald New Enforcement Trend

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    The recent amendment to the German Act against Restraints of Competition is expected to significantly expand the powers of the German Federal Cartel Office, and could signal a global trend toward greater direct intervention by national competition authorities and political interference in competition law, say lawyers at Simmons & Simmons.

  • How The OECD Global Tax Proposal Could Affect M&A

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    Following agreement on the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Pillar Two proposal to introduce a global minimum tax, domestic implementation is expected to have a significant impact on international M&A transactions, with financial modeling, deal structuring, risk allocation and joint venture arrangements likely to be affected, say lawyers at Freshfields.

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