Transactions UK

  • May 01, 2026

    Santander Completes £2.9B TSB Bank Acquisition

    Banco Santander SA said Friday it has finalized its £2.86 billion ($3.9 billion) acquisition of TSB from Banco de Sabadell, in one of the biggest deals in Britain's banking sector in years.

  • May 01, 2026

    Cleaning Products Biz Launches 2nd Part Of £20M Buyback

    McBride PLC said Friday it has kicked off a share repurchase program worth up to £15.5 million ($21.1 million) — the second phase of the cleaning products business' wider £20 million buyback that it expects will lower its share capital.

  • May 01, 2026

    Baker McKenzie-Led Daily Mail Owner To Sell Data Biz For $1B

    The owner of the Daily Mail has agreed to sell its U.S. property data business Trepp Inc. for $1 billion in cash to financial services provider Fitch Group Inc.

  • April 30, 2026

    Monthly Merger Review Snapshot

    A pair of door manufacturers ended a landmark private merger challenge, state enforcers are gearing up for a potential Live Nation breakup bid following a crucial jury win, and a separate group of states and DirecTV are challenging Nexstar's $6.2 billion deal for rival broadcaster Tegna.

  • April 30, 2026

    Gymshark Co-Founder Sues Aybl Execs Over Alleged Ouster

    A Gymshark co-founder has sued his former business partners in Abyl, another sportswear brand he helped launch, accusing them of hanging him out to dry after he refused to sell 10% of his shares to move forward with an initial public offering. 

  • April 30, 2026

    SoftBank Unit Says Ex-Directors Duped It Into £2.5M Deal

    SoftBank Robotics UK has accused two former directors of a firm it co-owned of inflating earnings to trick it into buying their shares, hitting back at their £8 million ($11 million) claim that it wrongly forced them out.

  • April 30, 2026

    Unilever Starts €1.5B Buyback After Reaffirming 2026 Plan

    Consumer goods giant Unilever said Thursday that it is launching a €1.5 billion ($1.7 billion) share buyback program as it reported strong results for the first quarter of 2026.

  • April 30, 2026

    Pensions-Backed Schroders Fund Invests £100M Into UK Cos.

    Schroders Capital has said one of its investment vehicles has committed more than £100 million ($135.2 million) of pension capital and government-backed money to a range of British technology and artificial intelligence startups.

  • April 30, 2026

    Slaughter And May, Cravath-Led Water Biz To Raise £800M

    United Utilities said on Thursday that it is planning to raise £800 million ($1 billion) to fund the equity element of a £2.5 billion government-mandated investment program to fund, build and upgrade water infrastructure in England and Wales.

  • April 30, 2026

    Whitbread To Return £2B To Shareholders, Cut Costs

    Whitbread PLC unveiled a £2 billion ($2.7 billion) shareholder return program on Thursday as part of a sweeping five-year cost saving plan to boost margins for Britain's largest hotel operator.

  • April 30, 2026

    Lazard To Buy HSF Kramer-Led Campbell Lutyens For $575M

    Lazard Inc. said Thursday that it will buy London-based Campbell Lutyens for $575 million to create a global private capital advisory unit.

  • April 30, 2026

    Irish Energy Biz Snubs £5B Bid From KKR-Led Consortium

    DCC PLC said Thursday it has rejected a preliminary £4.95 billion ($6.7 billion) takeover bid from a consortium led by private equity firms Energy Capital Partners LP and KKR, because the proposal significantly undervalues the Irish energy distributor.

  • April 29, 2026

    More UK Businesses Face Crisis Over Taxes, War, Report Says

    The number of U.K. businesses near collapse increased by almost 37% with rising taxes ahead of the economic fallout of the Iran war, an insolvency firm warned in a report Wednesday.

  • April 29, 2026

    Mapping Software Biz Quits LSE Following £87M Buyout

    1Spatial said Wednesday that its approximately £87.1 million ($118 million) sale to VertiGIS, a portfolio company of U.S. technology investor Battery Ventures, has been completed, triggering the suspension of the British mapping software business' shares from trading.

  • April 29, 2026

    Simmons & Simmons-Led Döhler To Buy Treatt For £183M

    German ingredients maker Döhler Group said Wednesday that it has agreed to acquire rival manufacturer Treatt for approximately £183 million ($247 million) in a deal that will cancel the British company's listing on the London Stock Exchange.

  • April 29, 2026

    Irish Energy Co. Weighs Approach From KKR, Energy Capital

    Irish energy and marketing giant DCC PLC said Wednesday that a consortium of two private equity firms has made a preliminary approach regarding a possible takeover.

  • April 29, 2026

    Uzbekistan Fund Shoots For $1.95B Valuation In London IPO

    Uzbekistan's sovereign wealth fund said Tuesday that it is aiming for a market capitalization of $1.95 billion in its London and Tashkent initial public offering.

  • April 29, 2026

    BoE Set To Bolster Funded Reinsurance Regulatory Oversight

    The Bank of England's regulatory arm floated measures on Wednesday that would see funded reinsurance transactions involving U.K. life insurance companies face enhanced regulatory requirements, amid fears its growing use poses wider risks to financial stability.

  • April 29, 2026

    Skadden, Hannes Steer Kone's €29.4B Deal For German Rival

    Finnish lift engineering heavyweight Kone will buy TK Elevator GmbH in a cash and stock deal that values the German rival at €29.4 billion ($34 billion), the companies said Wednesday.

  • April 29, 2026

    Spanish Travel Tech Biz To Buy Biometrics Co. For €1.2B

    Spain's Amadeus said Wednesday it plans to acquire Idemia Public Security, a French biometrics firm, for €1.2 billion ($1.4 billion) as the travel tech giant seeks to boost its border control capabilities.

  • April 28, 2026

    EU Flags Concerns Over Paper Joint Venture

    European enforcers launched an in-depth investigation Tuesday into a planned joint venture between paper manufacturers UPM and Sappi over concerns about the market for magazine paper and several other products.

  • April 28, 2026

    CMA Waves Through LDC's Buy Of Gressingham Parent

    U.K.'s antitrust regulator said on Tuesday that it has approved the acquisition of British duck breeder Gressingham's parent company Green Label Holdings Ltd. by French farming company Société LDC SA after a three-month investigation.

  • April 28, 2026

    Kingsmill Owner Defends Deal For Hovis To CMA

    Kingsmill owner AB Foods urged the U.K. competition watchdog on Tuesday to clear its proposed purchase of rival Hovis, arguing that the deal would not harm competition and would prevent the collapse of a struggling business.

  • April 28, 2026

    Barclays Launches £500M Buyback After 'Solid' Results

    Barclays unveiled a £500 million ($674 million) share buyback on Tuesday as the lender reported a steady rise in profit and income in the first three months of 2026.

  • April 28, 2026

    White & Case Guides Chip Co. On £13M Placing, Retail Offer

    IQE PLC said Tuesday that it has completed a placing and retail share offer, raising £13 million ($17.5 million) as part of a wider recapitalization to strengthen the British semiconductor company's balance sheet and to fund future growth.

Expert Analysis

  • Looking Back On 2024's Competition Law Issues For GenAI

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    With inherent uncertainties in generative artificial intelligence raising antitrust issues that attract competition authorities' attention, the 2024 uptick in transaction reviews demonstrates that regulators are vigilant about the possibility that markets may tip in favor of large existing players, say lawyers at McDermott.

  • What The Future Of AI In Financial Services Looks Like

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    Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the global financial services industry, with a hybrid model likely to evolve where AI handles routine tasks and humans focus on strategy and decision-making, so financial institutions should work with regulators to establish ethical standards and meet regulatory expectations without stifling innovation, say lawyers at Womble Bond.

  • What UK Security Act Report Indicates For Future Gov't Policy

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    Following the recent publication of the National Security and Investment Act report on the scrutiny of proposed investments, it will be interesting to see how the act’s powers fit into a government policy that plans to cut regulatory obstacles, while maintaining a hard line on national security, say lawyers at Katten Muchin.

  • What UK Takeover Code's Narrowed Focus Will Mean For Cos.

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    In narrowing its scope of application, the U.K. Takeover Panel's forthcoming amended code will have practical implications for U.K.-registered companies and ultimately provide greater market clarity and certainty, say lawyers at Davis Polk.

  • M&A Takeaways From 1st EU Foreign Subsidies Merger Ruling

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    The European Commission’s recent decision on the merger between e& and PFF Telecom is the first to approve a transaction subject to commitments under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation, serving as a helpful guide by confirming that behavioral measures ring-fencing EU activities from the potential effect of third-country subsidies are acceptable, say lawyers at Cleary.

  • Factors Driving EU Competition Policy For The Next 5 Years

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    Teresa Ribera Rodríguez’s recent nomination as the new European Union commissioner for competition prompts questions about policy and enforcement, with goals to enhance competition in business, implement stronger and faster enforcement, and promote and fund decarbonization likely in her sights during a five-year term, say lawyers at Linklaters.

  • Modernizing UK Trade Settlement Standard: The Road Ahead

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    Andrew Tsang and Tom Bacon at BCLP consider the rationale and challenges of a potential U.K. trade settlement acceleration, part of an initiative to modernize the financial market infrastructure, and suggest that incorporating distributed ledger technology as a synchronized recording system would facilitate the move.

  • What EU Antitrust Guidelines Will Mean For Dominant Cos.

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    The European Commission’s recent draft antitrust guidelines will steer courts' enforcement powers, increasing the risk for dominant firms engaging in exclusive dealing without any apparent basis to shift the burden of proof to those companies, say lawyers at Latham.

  • Draft Merger Control Guidance Allows CMA To Cast Wide Net

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    The Competition and Markets Authority's recent draft merger control guidance, reflecting the regulator's strengthened powers under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Act, introduces extensive change and potential procedural improvements, specifically concerning reviews of private equity firms, say lawyers at Travers Smith.

  • Reflecting On 12 Months Of The EU Foreign Subsidy Regime

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    New European Commission guidance, addressing procedural questions and finally providing clarity on “distortion” in merger control and public procurement, offers an opportunity to reflect on the year since foreign subsidy notification obligations were introduced, say lawyers at Fried Frank.

  • Review Of EU Cross-Border Merger Regs' Impact On Irish Cos.

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    Looking back on the year since the European Union Mobility Directive was transposed into Irish law, enabling Irish and European Economic Area limited liability companies to participate in cross-border deals, it is clear that restructuring options available to Irish companies with EU operations have significantly expanded, say lawyers at Matheson.

  • A Look At UK, EU And US Cartel Enforcement Trends

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    The European Union, U.K. and U.S. competition agencies' recently issued joint statement on competition risks in generative artificial intelligence demonstrates increased cross-border collaboration on cartel investigations, meaning companies facing investigations in one jurisdiction should anticipate related investigations in other jurisdictions, say lawyers at Latham & Watkins.

  • Testing The Limits Of English Courts' Pro-Arbitration Stance

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    Although the Court of Appeal recently upheld a $64 million arbitration award in Eternity Sky v. Zhang, the judgment offers rare insight into when the English courts’ general inclination to enforce arbitral awards may be outweighed by competing policy interests such as consumer rights, say Declan Gallivan and Peter Morton at K&L Gates.

  • EU Merger Control Concerns Remain After ECJ Illumina Ruling

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    The recent European Court of Justice judgment in Illumina-Grail is a welcome check on the commission's power to review low-threshold transactions, but with uncertainty persisting under existing laws and discretion left to national regulators, many pitfalls in European Union merger control remain, says Matthew Hall at McGuireWoods.

  • Examining The EU's New Payments Services Package

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    Following recent European Parliament elections, the spotlight is turning to the highly anticipated payments services package expected in September, marking a pivotal moment in the legislative process that will reshape the payment services ecosystem in the European Union, says Kristýna Tupá and Karolína Hlavinková at Schoenherr.

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