Transactions UK

May 12, 2025
Blackstone Gets More Time For Warehouse REIT Offer

Britain's mergers and acquisitions watchdog has handed the U.S. private equity shop Blackstone more time to make a firm offer for Warehouse REIT, the U.K. company said Monday, after Blackstone reduced its £489 million ($646 million) price tag for the real estate investor.
May 12, 2025
London Business Advisory Firm To Buy Rival For £8.1M

FRP Advisory Group PLC said Monday that it has acquired a London-based rival, One Advisory Group, for up to approximately £8.1 million ($10.7 million) in a cash-and-stock deal in a move to increase its market share.
May 12, 2025
Latham-Led Cobalt Buyer Seeks $230M From London Flotation

Cobalt Holdings PLC said Monday that it is seeking to raise about $230 million in a flotation in London as it hopes investors will take advantage of the low price of the metal, which is used in batteries for electric vehicles.
May 12, 2025
Self-Care Biz Venture Life To Sell Manufacturing Arm For €62M

Consumer self-care company Venture Life said Monday that it has agreed to sell its manufacturing business and some non-core assets to an Italian company, BioDue SpA, for approximately €62 million ($69 million), as it refocuses on its essential brands.
May 12, 2025
Mayer Brown, Gowling Guide £120M Charity Pension Deal

Pensions insurer Rothesay said Monday that it has secured retirement savings plan liabilities worth £120 million ($160 million) for a scheme sponsored by charity and exam board AQA Education, in a deal guided by Mayer Brown LLP and Gowling WLG.
May 12, 2025
Japan's Dai-Ichi Increases Stake In UK Asset Manager To 15%

Japanese life insurer Dai-ichi Life said Monday that it will increase its stake in Capula, a British hedge fund, to 15% as it seeks to grow its asset management business and diversify risk.
May 09, 2025
CMA Weighs Viagogo Bid To Buy Back IP From StubHub Sale

The U.K.'s competition watchdog said Friday it has launched a consultation into a request from online ticket reseller Viagogo to reacquire the rights to some non-British domain names and trademarks from its former business StubHub International.
May 09, 2025
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

This past week in London has seen a subsidiary of State Street Corp. sue British sports betting giant Entain, Manolete Partners and HSBC tackle action just weeks after signing a £17 million revolving credit facility agreement, and a commercial fraud claim launched by EFG Bank against Mirabaud & CIE.
May 09, 2025
UK-US Trade Deal Needs Work On Pharma And IP, Pros Say

The U.K.-U.S. trade deal is a starting point for closer economic ties, but the agreement needs more work on pharmaceuticals and intellectual property before it's finalized, according to professionals.
May 09, 2025
BCLP And CMS-Led Fintech IForex Weighs London IPO

Online trading platform iForex Financial Trading Holdings Ltd. said Friday it is considering floating its shares on London's main market to raise cash to boost its brand and invest in technology.
May 09, 2025
Delta, Korean Air To Buy 25% Of Canadian Airline For $550M

Delta Air and Korean Air said on Friday that they have agreed to acquire a minority stake in Canadian airline WestJet for $550 million, a portion of which will be sold on to Air France-KLM.
May 09, 2025
Digital Media Biz Eyes £19M Takeover Of Centaur Subsidiary

Digital media and marketing company Brave Bison Group PLC on Friday confirmed it's in talks about buying Centaur Media's online learning business for £19 million ($25 million).
May 09, 2025
CMS-Led LondonMetric Agrees To Buy REIT For £700M

LondonMetric Property PLC said Friday that it has agreed to acquire warehouse-owner Urban Logistics REIT PLC for approximately £699 million ($930 million) in a cash-and-stock deal to create a combined company with a property portfolio worth £7.3 billion.
May 09, 2025
Greencore Gets More Time On Potential £1.2B Offer For Rival

Ready-to-eat meals producer Bakkavor said Friday that the U.K. deals watchdog has given Greencore Group, the Irish sandwich maker, a two-week extension to make it an offer of approximately £1.2 billion ($1.6 billion).
May 15, 2025
Akin Hires Tech And IP Pro From Orrick To Boost Deals Team

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP has recruited a tech and intellectual property lawyer from Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP to add to better advise clients on the use, acquisition and protection of technology.
May 08, 2025
Finnish Software Firm Buys Polish IT Biz For Up To €16.6M

Finnish software business Digia PLC said Thursday that it has inked an agreement to buy Polish IT and outsourcing firm Savangard for up to €16.6 million ($19 million), bolstering its business growth ambitions.
May 08, 2025
McCann FitzGerald-Led AIB €1.2B Buyback Set In Motion

Dublin-based lender AIB Group PLC said Thursday it has agreed to repurchase €1.2 billion ($1.35 billion) worth of its shares from the Irish state as it moves to further reduce the government's stake from its crisis-era financial bailout.
May 08, 2025
EU Moves To Revamp 20-Year-Old Merger Control Rules

The European Commission called on Thursday for responses to plans to overhaul its 20-year-old merger control rules as it seeks to give weight to innovation, sustainability and security needs when it assesses deals taking place between competitors in the bloc.
May 08, 2025
Latham, Wilson Sonsini Guide $800M Tripledot Gaming Deal

British game developer Tripledot Studios said Thursday it has inked a deal to acquire Palo Alto, California-based AppLovin's portfolio of mobile games studios for $800 million, with Latham & Watkins LLP advising Tripledot and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC guiding AppLovin.
May 08, 2025
Court Clears CareTrust's £448M Takeover Of UK REIT

Care homes owner Care REIT has said that its £448 million ($597 million) takeover by a U.S. housing company, CareTrust REIT, has been given the nod by the High Court, allowing it to cross the final hurdle in the completion of the deal.
May 08, 2025
Latham-Led TA Associates Bids £570M For UK Tech Biz

TA Associates said Thursday that it has agreed to acquire British tech businesses FD Technologies PLC for approximately £570 million ($756 million) in a cash offer to give the U.S. private equity company access to an "industry-leading database and analytics engine."
May 08, 2025
EU Backs New Screening Rules For Foreign Investment

The European Parliament on Thursday backed revamped rules designed to prevent hostile overseas players from acquiring control of critical infrastructure and technology.
May 08, 2025
Sackers Guides Trustee In Standard Life's £280M Pension Deal

Standard Life and Cancer Research UK's retirement savings plan have concluded a £280 million ($372 million) bulk purchase annuity transaction, the pensions giant said Thursday, with the trustee guided by Sacker & Partners LLP.
May 07, 2025
Staffing Firm Says Possible Takeover Offer Undervalues It

Recruitment business Empresaria Group PLC said Wednesday it has received an unsolicited indicative offer from a consortium but believes the proposed deal fundamentally undervalues it.
May 07, 2025
9th Circ. Affirms FTC Loss In Microsoft-Activision Case

The Ninth Circuit on Wednesday affirmed a lower court's ruling in a Federal Trade Commission case that refused to block Microsoft's $68.7 billion acquisition of game developer Activision Blizzard Inc.

Expert Analysis

What EU Changes To Dual Distribution Mean For Franchises

Following the European Commission’s adoption of the Vertical Block Exemption Regulation and accompanying vertical guidelines regarding dual distribution, which took effect this month, franchisors should examine their flow of information to and from franchisees to determine whether it must be restricted, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.
How ESG Matters Are Influencing M&A Due Diligence Trends

With a proliferation of environmental, social and governance-related regulatory developments and a desire to comply with best practice, ESG matters have become an increasingly important area of focus for both clients and advisers in M&A transactions, say attorneys at Sullivan & Cromwell.
Changes To UK Competition Rules Will Extend CMA Powers

Recent amendments to U.K. competition and consumer law regimes introduce changes to merger control and antitrust investigations that will result in the speedier resolution of cases and greater autonomy for the Competition and Markets Authority, say Bill Batchelor and Aurora Luoma at Skadden.