Transactions UK

  • August 21, 2025

    Mediobanca Shareholders Reject €6.3B Banca Generali Deal

    Italian investment bank Mediobanca SpA said Thursday that its shareholders rejected its planned €6.3 billion ($7.3 billion) bid for wealth manager Banca Generali SpA, a move that now opens it up to a hostile takeover from rival Monte dei Paschi.

  • August 21, 2025

    Dentons-Led Premier To Gobble Up Gourmet Brand For £48M

     Premier Foods PLC said Thursday that it has agreed to buy Merchant Gourmet, a premium ready-to-eat specialist, for £48 million ($65 million) to cater for a growing appetite for high-quality and convenient meals.

  • August 21, 2025

    Aegon Boosts Buyback To €400M, Weighs Moving Base To US

    Aegon NV said Thursday it is doubling its current €200 million ($233 million) share repurchase program to €400 million as the pensions and insurance specialist begins a review of plans to shift its head office to the U.S.

  • August 21, 2025

    SPAC Ikigai Ventures To Buy Tech Group Dotlines For £67M

    Blank-check company Ikigai Ventures Ltd. said Thursday that it has agreed to acquire Dotlines, a global business and consumer technology group, for approximately £67 million ($90 million) to help it reach new customers in "under-served markets."

  • August 21, 2025

    UK Blocks Versarien Asset Sale To China-Linked JV

    The government has banned British engineering materials group Versarien from selling assets to a joint venture that it plans to set up with Anhui Boundary, a Chinese tire-maker, because of national security concerns.

  • August 21, 2025

    Appointed Reps Reform Gives FCA Bigger Enforcement Hook

    The U.K. government's plans to tighten the rules for appointed representatives will give the Financial Conduct Authority a far greater enforcement hook, making the regime costlier and harder to access by the companies it is designed to support, lawyers have warned.

  • August 20, 2025

    Aviva, Tesco Launch Life Insurance Partnership

    Aviva PLC said Wednesday that it has launched a new partnership with the insurance arm of Tesco that will give the customers of the grocery giant access to affordable life insurance programs.

  • August 20, 2025

    Waldorf Production Can't Get Court Approval For Rescue Plan

    Scottish oil and gas company Waldorf Production UK PLC has failed to secure court approval of a restructuring plan for its $225 million of debt, as a judge ruled the plan failed to consider the fair allocation to all creditors.

  • August 20, 2025

    Simpson-Led Rosebank Completes £1.5B Electrical Biz Deal

    Rosebank Industries PLC said Wednesday that it has completed its acquisition, worth approximately £1.5 billion ($2 billion), of Electrical Components International from Cerberus Capital Management LLP.

  • August 20, 2025

    Swedish Digital Therapy Co. Expands In UK With Acquisition

    Swedish digital therapy provider Mindler said Wednesday it has acquired Ieso Digital Health UK, a British online counseling company, amid a gap in treatment for mental health.

  • August 20, 2025

    Saint-Gobain To Sell Australian Property Asset For $370M

    French construction materials giant Saint-Gobain said Wednesday that it has agreed to sell a property next to the new Western Sydney Airport for 575 million Australian dollars as it continues to offload assets following its purchase of an Australian rival.

  • August 20, 2025

    Software Co. Strangeworks Acquires German AI Tech Biz

    Computing software firm Strangeworks said Wednesday that it has acquired Quantagonia, a German AI-powered technology company, in a move to boost its business opportunities.

  • August 20, 2025

    Eversheds, LCP Guide £700M Pension Deal For Engineer ABB

    The British subsidiary of global electrical engineering giant ABB Group has agreed a full-scheme pension program buy-in worth £700 million ($945 million) with Aviva PLC, the insurer said Wednesday.

  • August 20, 2025

    Medical Products Biz To Return $300M To Investors

    Convatec Group PLC said on Wednesday that it has kicked off a share buyback program to return as much as $300 million to investors through repurchasing stock, after the medical products and technology company reported a surge in half-year profits.

  • August 19, 2025

    Anglo American Seeks Arbitration Over Failed $3.8B Mine Deal

    British mining company Anglo American PLC said Tuesday that it will begin arbitration proceedings against Peabody Energy after the U.S. mining company pulled out of a $3.78 billion deal to buy mines in Australia producing steel-making coal.

  • August 19, 2025

    Athora, Brookfield Deals May Spur UK Pension Risk Appetite

    A wave of consolidation among life insurers may mean deeper pockets to meet demand in the pension risk transfer market, a broker said Tuesday.

  • August 19, 2025

    UK Metals Firm To Exit Tungsten Miner Stake With £13.6M Sale

    Power Metal said Tuesday it has agreed to sell its last remaining stake in tungsten explorer Guardian Metal Resources PLC to an investment fund managed by Duquesne Family Office LLC for £13.6 million ($18 million).

  • August 19, 2025

    Property Investor To Sell Virgin Active Gym Site For £6.75M

    Property investor and developer Conygar said Tuesday that it has exchanged contracts to sell a site in central England that houses a Virgin Active gym for £6.75 million ($9.13 million) in cash.

  • August 19, 2025

    Insurance Giant Gallagher Closes $13B AssuredPartners Buy

    Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has completed its $13.5 billion acquisition of independent rival AssuredPartners Inc. as the global insurance brokerage seeks to benefit from strengthening its niche industry expertise and growing its U.K. and Ireland operations.

  • August 19, 2025

    Georgian Biz Kicks Off $50M Buyback To Reward Investors

    Investment business Georgia Capital PLC launched a $50 million buyback on Tuesday to reduce its share capital and return 700 million Georgian lari ($260 million) to investors.

  • August 18, 2025

    5 Firms Guide Soho House $2.7B Take-Private Deal With MCR

    Soho House & Co. Inc. announced Monday that it has inked a take-private deal with hotel operator MCR that values the company at $2.7 billion.

  • August 18, 2025

    Gold Trader Can't Sue Administrators Over Hostile Takeover

    A London court on Monday struck out a gold trading app's claim against its former administrators in which it alleged they were wrongly appointed as part of a failed hostile takeover bid, rather than to legitimately repay debt.

  • August 18, 2025

    Property Group Arora Buys Justice Ministry Offices For £245M

    Arora Group said Monday it has acquired the central London offices used by the Ministry of Justice from Land Securities Group PLC for £245 million ($332 million) in cash, as the west London-based real estate group eyes developing the site for new tenants.

  • August 18, 2025

    Companies Told To Prepare For New Fraud Prevention Law

    Large organizations must gear up for the new "failure to prevent fraud" offense that will come into force in a fortnight or prepare for an investigation, the Serious Fraud Office warned Monday.

  • August 18, 2025

    Investor Sells 7 Assets To Dutch Pension Biz APG For £225M

    Infrastructure Investment company HICL said Monday that it has offloaded a portfolio of mostly healthcare properties in the U.K. for approximately £225 million ($305 million) to Dutch pension services giant APG.

Expert Analysis

  • Petrofac Ruling Shifts Focus To Fairness In Restructurings

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    The recent Court of Appeal overturning of Petrofac's restructuring plans demonstrates a change of direction that will allow previously ignored out-of-the-money creditors a share in the benefits, and means companies must review the fair treatment of different creditor classes, say lawyers at King & Spalding.

  • Europe's New Defense Push Creates Investment Prospects

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    Recent increases in European defense expenditure and governments' desire to innovate are creating a compelling environment for investment and merger and acquisition activity, especially for small and midsize enterprises at the forefront of emerging technologies, say lawyers at Skadden.

  • Key Considerations For Issuers In FCA Prospectus Reform

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    The Financial Conduct Authority’s forthcoming reform of the U.K. prospectus regime should be attractive to both debt and equity issuers because it limits the circumstances in which a costly prospectus is required, making it easier and cheaper for listed companies to raise capital, say lawyers at Sullivan & Cromwell.

  • Challenges For Managers In Navigating Continuation Funds

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    With continuation vehicles becoming an increasingly popular alternative to traditional private equity investment exit routes, managers and lenders should be confident that they understand a transaction’s structure and how it interacts with existing debt arrangements, says Jason Larkins at Travers Smith.

  • What New UK Stub Equity Rules Will Mean For PE Bidders

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    The U.K. Takeover Panel’s recent guide to making stub equity offers, for the first time formally harmonizing the approach to be taken, should be helpful for both private equity bidders and practitioners, and not unduly restrictive, say lawyers at Davis Polk.

  • French Plans For Call-In Powers Signal More Merger Scrutiny

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    The French Competition Authority’s intention to draft a call-in mechanism for below-threshold transactions demonstrates a growing appetite to expand national investigation tools that will require a balance of effective control and legal certainty to reduce the burden on merging companies, say lawyers at Linklaters.

  • UK FDI Enforcement Continues, But Changes Are On The Way

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    With the U.K. government’s recent foreign direct investment investigation into Maple Armor’s increased shareholding in Fireblitz demonstrating the National Security and Investment Act’s wide scope, an announcement this month that certain transactions will no longer require mandatory notification represents a welcome simplification, says Matthew Hall at McGuireWoods.

  • What Cos. Must Note From EU's Delivery Hero-Glovo Ruling

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    The European Commission’s recent landmark decision in Delivery Hero-Glovo, sanctioning companies for the first time over a stand-alone no-poach cartel agreement, underscores the potential antitrust risks of horizontal cross-ownership between competitors, say lawyers at McDermott.

  • Weighing PE Transaction Risks As EU AI Act Rolls Out

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    As the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act becomes effective in stages, legal practitioners involved in private equity deals should consider the transactional risks resulting from this measure, including penalties, extraterritorial reach and target-firm applicability, say lawyers at Covington.

  • UK-EU Competition Agreement Signals Rebuilding Of Ties

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    The European Commission’s recent adoption of proposals to sign the European Union-U.K. competition agreement is a welcome first step toward better policy and enforcement convergence, providing a clearer legal framework for businesses to manage regulatory risk, says Charles Whiddington at Steptoe.

  • Takeaways From EU's Review Of Merger Control Guidelines

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    The European Commission’s newly launched consultation on the European Union’s merger guidelines will explore whether and how merger control should consider key policy objectives, such as innovation, investment incentives and security, say lawyers at Latham.

  • Identifying Data Center Investment Challenges, Opportunities

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    The role of data centers is expanding, as are new opportunities for private capital investors, but there are issues to consider, including finance models and contract complexity, as well as power supply, cyber threat resilience and data sovereignty, say lawyers at Ropes & Gray.

  • Anticipating A Shift In CMA Merger Control Enforcement

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    As the Competition and Markets Authority outlines plans to put the U.K. government's growth objectives into action, the changes may well pave the way for a more permissive outlook for review of mergers and acquisitions in the U.K., say lawyers at A&O Shearman.

  • Saxon Woods Ruling Tightens Rules On Director Good Faith

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    The recent Court of Appeal judgment in Saxon Woods v. Costa departs from the High Court's ruling, clarifying that a director's sincere belief they have acted in the company’s best interests is not sufficient to satisfy the statutory requirement to act in good faith, say lawyers at Covington.

  • Key Takeaways As EU And UK Impose New Russia Sanctions

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    The European Union and U.K.’s new sanctions on Russia, designating increasing numbers of non-Russian companies in the defense and shipping sectors, mean that organizations must examine from the outset whether a transaction has any nexus with the EU or the U.K., say lawyers at Sullivan & Cromwell.

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