Transactions UK

  • September 16, 2024

    Titanic Shipbuilder Sinks Under Weight Of Debt

    Struggling shipbuilder Harland & Wolff said Monday that it plans to enter into administration and remove its shares from the London Stock Exchange after failing to win a £200 million ($264 million) government loan to help offset money owed to creditors.

  • September 16, 2024

    UniCredit Launches €1.7B Share Buyback After Profit Gains

    UniCredit SpA said Monday that it has kicked off a share buyback worth up to €1.7 billion ($1.9 billion) as the Italian commercial bank moves to reward its shareholders after it reported bumper profits.

  • September 16, 2024

    Law Firm Director Dishonestly Misled Insurer, SRA Says

    The solicitors' watchdog told a disciplinary tribunal on Monday that a law firm director had dishonestly concealed the fact that his company had acquired another firm's work and staff after his insurer declined to offer cover for the change.

  • September 16, 2024

    France's Rexel Rejects €8.6B Offer From QXO Tech Biz

    French electrical equipment giant Rexel said Monday that it has rejected a proposed offer of €8.6 billion ($9.6 billion) from QXO, a technology business owned by U.S. billionaire Brad Jacobs.

  • September 13, 2024

    EU Actors Lobby Hard For Top Jobs in New Commission

    European Union lawmakers and national governments are lobbying intensely to pull top jobs and policy their way as the new European Commission is formed for the next five years.

  • September 13, 2024

    Australia's Roc Oil Bids $186M For Swedish Rival Tethys

    Australian oil and gas company Roc Oil said Friday that it has offered to buy Swedish oil exploration and production company Tethys Oil AB for approximately 1.9 billion Swedish krona ($186 million) in a deal guided by three law firms.

  • September 13, 2024

    Plane Leaser Avolon To Fly Away With Aircraft Fleet For $5B

    Avolon Ltd. said Friday that it has agreed to buy a portfolio of nearly 120 aircraft indirectly owned by U.S. alternative investment manager Castlelake LP for $5 billion as the aviation leasing giant looks to accelerate its growth.

  • September 13, 2024

    Energy Biz Wants To Claw Back £3.8M From Waste Plant Deal

    An energy business has sued the directors of a waste management company that it acquired for almost £40 million ($52 million), alleging that it overpaid for shares in the business because of a mistake that overstated the capacity and output of a food waste processing plant.

  • September 13, 2024

    High Court Sanctions £2.2B Deal For Network International

    Middle Eastern payments company Network International Holdings said on Friday that the High Court has sanctioned a £2.2 billion ($2.9 billion) takeover bid from Brookfield Asset Management Ltd.

  • September 13, 2024

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

    This past week in London has seen a football agent sue Chelsea FC after being cleared of allegations he threatened the club’s former director, an ongoing patent dispute between Amgen and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, and a private school in Edinburgh suing Riverstone Insurance over compensation claims tied to historical abuse allegations made by former pupils. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • September 13, 2024

    PE Giant KKR's Plan To Buy Entertainment Biz Gets EU Nod

    Europe's antitrust authority said Friday that it has cleared plans by private equity giant KKR & Co. to buy entertainment business Superstruct from Providence Equity Partners LLC.

  • September 13, 2024

    Arthur Cox-Led Betting Biz Buys $350M Stake In Brazil Rival

    Sports betting giant Flutter Entertainment PLC said on Friday that it has bought a 56% stake in NSX Group, operator of Brazil's Betnacional gambling brand, for approximately $350 million as it looks to expand internationally.

  • September 13, 2024

    Freight Co. DSV To Buy Germany's Schenker For €14.3B

    Danish freight company DSV AS said Friday that it has agreed to acquire Schenker AG, the logistics division of German rail operator Deutsche Bahn AG, at an enterprise value of €14.3 billion ($16 billion) to create a "transport and logistics powerhouse."

  • September 13, 2024

    French Vaccine Maker Valneva Raises €61M In Private Placing

    Vaccine manufacturer Valneva SE said Friday that it has successfully raised approximately €61.2 million ($67.9 million) by selling shares to investors, which it plans to use to fund projects.

  • September 13, 2024

    Shell Companies Shuttered By Court For £1.6M COVID Fraud

    The High Court has shut down two connected companies that fraudulently received £1.6 million ($2.1 million) in COVID-19 support loans, a U.K. government agency said Friday.

  • September 13, 2024

    HSF-Led National Grid To Sell Supply Unit To Gov't For £630M

    National Grid PLC said Friday that it has agreed to sell its electricity supply system to the U.K. government for £630 million ($827 million), which will bring it into public ownership.

  • September 13, 2024

    Vodafone-Three Deal Could Boost Users' Costs, UK Warns

    A proposed £16.5 billion ($21.7 billion) merger between Vodafone Group PLC and the telecommunications networks of Three UK could raise tens of millions of mobile customers' bills, Britain's antitrust authority warned Friday.

  • September 12, 2024

    DLA Piper Taps Brussels Veteran As Int'l Head Of Competition

    A DLA Piper partner who has been with the firm in Brussels since 2015 is the new head of its international competition group.

  • September 12, 2024

    Nippon's Push To Save US Steel Buy And Other Deal Rumors

    An executive of Japan-based Nippon flew to Washington, D.C., this week to push for approval of its $14.9 billion deal with US Steel, the FTC is wary of a Canadian takeover of 7-Eleven, and a former NBA player is buying a 10% stake in the Milwaukee Bucks. Here, Law360 breaks down these and other notable deal rumors reported over the past week.

  • September 12, 2024

    NewRiver REIT Gets 2nd Extension To Bid For UK Mall Owner

    Shopping center owner Capital & Regional PLC said Thursday that the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers has granted its request to allow NewRiver REIT PLC more time to make or cancel a formal offer for Capital & Regional's biggest shareholder Growthpoint Properties Ltd.

  • September 12, 2024

    Wilson Sonsini Hires Tax Pro From Slaughter and May

    Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC has recruited a tax specialist from Slaughter and May to its office in London to boost its strengths representing U.K. and European technology and life sciences companies that are expanding in the U.S. and globally.

  • September 12, 2024

    EU Probes Bankrupt German Racetrack Sale After Court Loss

    The European Commission relaunched an investigation Thursday into whether Germany supplied illegal state aid in the sale of the Nürburgring motorsports complex after the European Union's top court struck down the competition authority's 2014 decision to clear the aid.

  • September 12, 2024

    Italian Watchdog Probing Swisscom's €8B Vodafone Deal

    Swisscom said Thursday that the Italian Competition Authority has launched an in-depth probe into its proposed €8 billion ($8.8 billion) cash purchase of Vodafone Italia, a transaction the Swiss telecoms company said is on track to complete.

  • September 12, 2024

    Marlowe To Spin Off Health Unit For £225M AIM Listing

    Regulatory compliance firm Marlowe PLC said Thursday that it intends to spin off its occupational health division to form an independent company, Optima Health PLC, and list it on the junior market of the London Stock Exchange at a valuation of £225 million ($294 million).

  • September 12, 2024

    A&O Shearman-Led Cinven Buys 50% Of UK Insurance Expert

    Private equity firm Cinven Ltd. has bought a 50% stake in Policy Expert, a home and motor insurance provider in the U.K., as it pursues its global growth strategy.

Expert Analysis

  • Growing EU Scrutiny Increases Hurdles For Foreign Investors

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    The application of the EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation from July will bring further oversight to many large deals, and together with bolt-on strategies, foreign investment regulation and antitrust enforcement, financial sponsors will need to start planning for compliance to avoid potential delays, say Anna Mitchell and Neil Hoolihan at Linklaters.

  • How The New UK Digital Markets Bill Will Affect CMA's Powers

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    The highly anticipated U.K. Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill sets out far-reaching changes in terms of merger control and conduct requirements, but some are skeptical of the Competition and Markets Authority’s enhanced powers and potential for divergence in treatment between firms, say Ben Chivers, Stephen Whitfield ​​​​​​​and Nigel Seay at Travers Smith.

  • M&A Considerations For European Cos. Acquiring US Entities

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    As investment banks forecast a resurgence of mergers and acquisitions later this year, European companies seeking to acquire U.S. businesses should be aware of key procedural differences and federal regulatory requirements that will affect the process, timing and terms of the transaction, say attorneys at Mintz.

  • A Review Of The EU FDI Screening Regulation And Its Scope

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    The EU advocate general’s recent broad interpretation of the EU Foreign Direct Investment Screening Regulation takes account of some of the geopolitical challenges faced by the bloc, and may foreshadow a revision of the regulation and widen the scope of investments screened, say Vassilis Akritidis and Jean-Baptiste Blancardi at Crowell & Moring.

  • Key Takeaways From EU Proposal For Greenwashing Rules

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    If the proposal for a Green Claims Directive, with its enhanced rules on claims about a product or trader's environmental impact, is adopted, it will affect all businesses selling their products in the EU and bring major changes to the way those products are packaged and advertised, say attorneys at Shearman.

  • UK Investment Screening Inches Closer To US Regime

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    The recent agreement between the U.K. Cabinet Office and House of Commons concerning parliamentary scrutiny of the Investment Security Unit represents a step toward greater transparency of intervention in investments that may raise national security concerns, and underscores increasing alignment with the U.S. regime, say attorneys at Hogan Lovells.

  • UK Ruling Offers Useful Guidance To Insolvency Practitioners

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    The recent U.K. High Court ruling in a matter involving Sova Capital represents the first unsecured credit bid to be approved by an English court, demonstrating a pragmatic approach to complex sanctions-related administrations and identifying a novel solution for insolvency practitioners to maximize value for the benefit of creditors, say attorneys at Katten.

  • Opinion

    Thomas Report Is Final Straw — High Court Needs Ethics Code

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    As a recent report on Justice Clarence Thomas' ongoing conflicts of interest makes evident, Supreme Court justices should be subject to an enforceable and binding code of ethics — like all other federal judges — to maintain the credibility of the institution, says Erica Salmon Byrne at Ethisphere.

  • Ofwat's New Guidance For Water Projects: Key Takeaways

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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.

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