Try our Advanced Search for more refined results
Transactions UK
-
May 08, 2024
Publisher Informa Ups Share Buyback Plan To £500M
Publishing and exhibitions specialist Informa said Wednesday that it has decided to increase its share buyback plan for 2024 by nearly 50% to approximately £500 million ($624 million) because of strong financial performance and "continuing cash flow."
-
May 08, 2024
Insurer Claims 400 Pension Deals Penned In 12 Years
Insurer Just Group said Wednesday it has completed 400 pension transfer deals since it launched in 2012, adding that the year ahead is poised to break more records in the retirement savings de-risking market.
-
May 08, 2024
Biopharm Biz Oxford Cannabinoid To Quit London Exchange
Oxford Cannabinoid Technologies Holdings PLC said on Wednesday it has applied to cancel its London listing, citing "turbulent" U.K. public markets that it maintains has undervalued the company.
-
May 07, 2024
Everton Investors Bemoan Soccer Team Sale Amid Fraud Suit
The Everton FC Shareholders Association wants to slam the brakes on the "farce" sale of its Premier League soccer team to private equity firm 777 Partners LLC, arguing they are not qualified owners, a demand that comes as the firm faces allegations of fraud.
-
May 14, 2024
Clifford Chance Hires Finance Pro From A&O Shearman
Clifford Chance LLP said Tuesday that it has recruited a specialist in derivatives and structured finance from A&O Shearman, just a week after the new transatlantic giant's merger went live.
-
May 07, 2024
BP To Return Another $1.75B To Shareholders
BP PLC said Tuesday that it will now return $1.75 billion to its shareholders as part of a $3.5 billion buyback program it announced in February when it reported a $13.8 billion profit for 2023.
-
May 07, 2024
Apax Unit Raises €23M From Parent's Sale Of Biz To KKR
Investment company Apax Global Alpha said Tuesday that it has raised approximately €22.7 million ($24.4 million) from its parent company's sale of India-based medical devices maker Healthium MedTech Ltd. to investment giant KKR & Co. Inc.
-
May 07, 2024
Self-Drive Car Co. Wayve Gets $1B In Softbank-Led AI Funding
Self-driving car company Wayve said on Tuesday that it has raised $1.05 billion in a funding round, led by SoftBank Group Corp. of Japan, to speed up its development of vehicles driven by artificial intelligence.
-
May 07, 2024
Orrick Advises Energy Trust On £91M Sale Of Green Biz
Energy sector investor SEEIT said Monday it has sold its British onsite solar portfolio to UK Power Networks Services Holdings Ltd. for £90.8 million ($114 million) in a transaction guided by Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe (UK) LLP.
-
May 07, 2024
UK Bar Chain Gets 42 Purchase Offers Amid Talks With Rival
Revolution Bars Group PLC said on Tuesday that it has now received more than 40 serious expressions of interest in buying either "assets or subsidiaries" and that 32 of the potential bidders have signed confidentiality agreements with the U.K. pub operator.
-
May 03, 2024
FTC Requests Additional Info On $16.5B Novo-Catalent Deal
The Federal Trade Commission is seeking additional information on Novo Holdings' planned $16.5 billion acquisition of pharmaceutical services company Catalent in order to examine whether the blockbuster deal passes antitrust muster, according to a Friday securities filing.
-
May 03, 2024
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London
The past week in London has seen rapper Ivorian Doll hit with a copyright claim, private members club Aspinalls file a claim against a Saudi sheikh, and Motorola Solutions file a claim against the British government on the heels of its dispute over losing a £400 million ($502 million) government contract. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.
-
May 03, 2024
UK Cites Regulatory Fears Over Utility's £89M Water Biz Buy
The competition watchdog said on Friday that the proposed purchase of Sumisho Osaka Gas Water UK Ltd. by rival Pennon Group in a deal worth approximately £89 million ($112 million) could hinder government regulation of water companies in Britain.
-
May 03, 2024
Cosmetics Co. Warpaint Raises £31.5M In Upsized Placing
Warpaint London PLC said Friday it has completed an expanded placing of 7 million shares, raising £31.5 million ($39.5 million), as the U.K.-based makeup supplier looks to fund continued expansion.
-
May 03, 2024
Beauty Biz Puig Begins Trading In Spain After €2.6B IPO
Charlotte Tilbury owner Puig Brands SA began trading in Spain on Friday after raising €2.61 billion ($2.8 billion) as part of Europe's largest initial public offering so far in 2024.
-
May 03, 2024
Hiscox To Begin Second Tranche Of $150M Share Buyback
Hiscox Ltd. said on Friday that it has launched the second portion of a $150 million share buyback program as it aims to return excess cash to its investors after the global insurer reported record profits for 2023.
-
May 03, 2024
Reed Smith Steers £136M Pension Deal For Savings Plan
Insurer Just Group has taken on £136.3 million ($171.2 million) in liabilities from a retirement savings plan, advisers said, in a transaction steered by Reed Smith LLP.
-
May 03, 2024
Trainline Announces £75M Share Buyback As Profit Soars
Trainline PLC said on Friday that it will reward investors with a new share repurchase program of up to £75 million ($94 million), as it reported bumper earnings.
-
May 03, 2024
US Investors Make $835M Offer For Swedish Legal Info Biz
The board of Swedish professional information services provider Karnov Group said Friday that it is backing a 9.06 billion Swedish kronor ($835 million) takeover offer from U.S. investment firms Greenoaks Capital Partners LLC and Long Path Partners LP.
-
May 02, 2024
Whistleblower Claims Would 'Destroy' Autonomy, GC Was Told
Autonomy's former U.S. general counsel testified Thursday in the criminal fraud trial of former CEO Michael Lynch that the company's chief operating officer didn't want a whistleblower's claims to get into court, telling him that while the "law" was on their side, "the facts look bad" and would "destroy Autonomy."
-
May 02, 2024
House Seeks FTC Info On Scuttled Amazon-IRobot Deal
The Republican-controlled House Committee on Oversight and Accountability is launching an investigation into the Federal Trade Commission's purported efforts to block Amazon's purchase of iRobot, according to a Wednesday letter from Rep. James Comer, R-Ky.
-
May 02, 2024
Insurers Don't Have To Cover Deal Soured Over Bribery Woes
A London appeals court on Thursday rejected a holding company's bid to overturn a ruling that found its insurers were not liable for losses it suffered when its acquisition of a construction contractor went south after bribery and corruption allegations.
-
May 02, 2024
Deals Rumor Mill: Coca-Cola, General Mills, MLB's Giants
Coca-Cola is preparing an IPO for its African bottling division, cereals giant General Mills is exploring selling its North America yogurt business, and a 5% stake in the San Francisco Giants is up for sale at a price that could value the club at $4 billion. Here, Law360 breaks down these and other notable deal rumors from the past week.
-
May 02, 2024
Freshfields-Led Novartis Inks $1.75B Cancer Drug Co. Buyout
Novartis AG said Thursday it has agreed to buy U.S. radiopharmaceutical company Mariana Oncology in a transaction worth up to $1.75 billion, as the Swiss pharmaceutical giant moves to bolster its precision nuclear medicine portfolio.
-
May 02, 2024
Shell To Buy Back $3.5B Worth Of Shares
Shell PLC said Thursday it will reward its shareholders with $3.5 billion in share buybacks over the next three months, as the energy giant reported a rise in profits to $7.7 billion for the first quarter of the year.
Expert Analysis
-
Ofwat's New Guidance For Water Projects: Key Takeaways
While increased competition is a laudable aim, the U.K. Water Services Regulation Authority's introduction of direct procurement for customers by default for projects above a size threshold could have ramifications for the financial stability of the companies delivering major water infrastructure, say Jennifer Charles and Marianne Anton at Watson Farley.
-
Court Ruling Strengthens EU Stance On Non-Notifiable M&A
The recent European Union Court of Justice's decision in Towercast can be seen as part of a pattern of increasingly rigorous scrutiny of M&A, and provides scope for greater intervention by national competition authorities on acquisitions by dominant companies that do not meet the EU or national merger control thresholds for notification, say attorneys at Herbert Smith.
-
How Changes To 'Acting In Concert' Will Affect UK Takeovers
The recent changes made to the rules by the U.K. Takeover Panel on who is presumed to be acting in concert will be of most interest to parties proposing to make a bid for a U.K. listed company, and give welcome clarity as to how the U.K. takeover regime operates, say attorneys at Herbert Smith.
-
Key Points In Draft EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation
The draft implementing regulation on EU foreign subsidy control provides eagerly awaited guidance on the submission of mandatory notifications, but there are still many open questions, say Paul van den Berg and Merit Olthoff at Freshfields.
-
ClientEarth Claim May Expand Scope Of Directors' Duties
In using litigation to hold Shell’s board of directors to account for failing to properly prepare for the net-zero transition, ClientEarth’s actions represent a shift in climate change activism strategy and an unprecedented application of directors’ duties as a mechanism to drive change, say Marlene Henderson and Danielle De Val at Browne Jacobson.
-
Volatile Energy Prices Complicate Int'l Arbitration Damages
In the turbulent global energy market, international arbitration is a crucial tool for resolving cross-border disputes — but determining how, if at all, to account for recent energy price spikes when quantifying damages presents many challenges for tribunals, say attorneys at White & Case.
-
A Breakdown Of The SRA's Proposed New Fining Powers
Thanks to the Solicitors Regulation Authority's pending new fining framework, which includes guidance on unsuitable fines and a fixed penalties scheme for low-level breaches, firms can expect to see more disciplinary findings leading to an SRA fine rather than referral to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, say Graham Reid and Shanice Holder at RPC.
-
Merger Ruling Shows Risk Of Not Seeking Prior CMA Approval
The recent decision by the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority to unwind the acquisition by Cerelia Group of Jus-Rol demonstrates that despite the voluntary nature of the U.K. reporting regime, parties may wish to consider the potential for wider scrutiny when deciding whether to seek merger control clearance, say attorneys at Hogan Lovells.
-
Warranty & Indemnity Insurance Considerations For M&A
With increased competition and greater capacity leading to lower premiums and deal costs, warranty and indemnity insurance is now available to the wider M&A market, and may help to limit risk and help parties focus on other key elements of the transaction, says Alice Wooler at Birketts.
-
What The Dignity Takeover Deal Says About M&A Trends
While some public companies may prefer to go private to maximize company growth and shareholder returns, there are potential pitfalls and in the current uncertain economic climate pairing up between private equity and public entities is likely to increase, as evidenced by the recent Dignity takeover deal, says James Lyons at Lawrence Stephens.
-
How Geopolitical Change Is Affecting M&A Activity In Europe
Several factors are leading businesses to divest from Russia and invest in central and Eastern European EU member states, with particular sectors attractive to U.K. companies and certain trends in M&A transactional activity emerging, says Oksana Howard at Colman Coyle.
-
Discovery Blocking Reform Better Protects French Companies
The 2022 reforms to France's 1968 blocking statute gives French companies more tools to resist abusive discovery requests from foreign competitors and public agencies, but France should do more to defend confidential information and assert its sovereignty, says Raphael Gauvain at Betto Perben.
-
A Look At New Vertical Laws, Their Opportunities And Pitfalls
Looking at trends that have gained the most traction under the new vertical laws in the EU and U.K., it is clear that brands should use the transition period wisely, ensuring that lessons have been learned on what to avoid and that go-to-market strategies are future-proof, say attorneys at K&L Gates.
-
Why 2023 Could Be The Year Of The Restructuring Plan
As U.K. businesses face a challenging economic environment going into 2023, the stage may be set for a rise in restructuring plans, with early signs such as an increasing body of case law, the pragmatic approach taken by the judiciary to date and the cross-class cramdown mechanism, say Rachael Markham and Charlotte Møller at Squire Patton.
-
How Mur Ruling May Affect Force Majeure Considerations
The recent U.K. Court of Appeal decision in Mur Shipping v. RTI demonstrates that exercising reasonable endeavors can include payment in an alternative currency to overcome a force majeure event, and is topical for contracting parties in light of Russia-related sanctions, say attorneys at Debevoise.