Transactions UK

  • July 03, 2025

    CMA To Review Global Payments' $24.2B Worldpay Deal

    British competition officials said this week that they were beginning their initial evaluation of Global Payments Inc.'s plans, unveiled earlier this year, to purchase payments giant Worldpay from GTCR and FIS for $24.25 billion.

  • July 10, 2025

    Weil Rehires Private Funds Partner From A&O Shearman

    Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP said Thursday that an expert in private investment funds is returning to the firm in London from Allen Overy Shearman Sterling as part of the Weil's growth plan.

  • July 03, 2025

    Citgo, Castrol Field Billion-Dollar Bids, And More Deal Rumors

    Vitol submitted a more than $10 billion bid to buy the parent of Venezuela-owned U.S. refiner Citgo Petroleum, according to Wednesday reports, but subsequent news indicated that it might not be enough to beat out the competition. Castrol, which is BP's lubricant arm, is also running an auction process, with private equity firm Clayton Dubilier & Rice reportedly emerging as one of the latest bidders. 

  • July 03, 2025

    UK Insurance Agency M&A Down 35% In 1st Half

    The pace of domestic mergers and acquisitions in the U.K. insurance market slowed down considerably in the first half of 2025, making it the slowest six-month period for M&A activity in the sector since the first half of 2019, a financial services consultancy said Thursday.

  • July 03, 2025

    Fasken Martineau, Orrick Guide Rare Earth Biz's Merger, Float

    Mkango Resources Ltd., a miner of rare earth elements, said Thursday that it has agreed to merge its subsidiary Lancaster Exploration Ltd. with a Cayman Islands-based blank-check company to list it on the Nasdaq stock exchange.

  • July 03, 2025

    Athora Eyes Stake In Pension Insurance Corp. In £5.7B Deal

    Luxembourg investor Reinet said Thursday that retirement group Athora has approached it to buy its 49.5% stake in Pension Insurance Corp. in a deal that values the U.K. buyout specialist at £5.7 billion ($7.8 billion).

  • July 03, 2025

    Nigerian Bank Owner Plots $100M Share Offer, London Listing

    Guaranty Trust Holding Co., the parent of Nigerian lender GTBank, said Thursday that it aims to raise $100 million in a sale of new shares to recapitalize the bank to a level required by regulation, and to list the shares on the London Stock Exchange.

  • July 03, 2025

    Investor EQT To Acquire Stake In Life Sciences Products Biz

    Swedish investor EQT Group said Thursday that its healthcare business has agreed to acquire a majority stake in life sciences research company Europa Biosite. 

  • July 03, 2025

    Pinsent Masons-Led Chesnara To Buy HSBC Life For £260M

    British pensions company Chesnara PLC said Thursday it has agreed to acquire the specialist life protection and investment bond provider of banking giant HSBC for £260 million ($355 million) to give the group a "material step up in scale."

  • July 03, 2025

    Italy Clears Monte Dei Paschi's €13.3B Mediobanca Deal

    Italian lender Monte dei Paschi has said that the country's competition authority has given the green light to its €13.3 billion ($15.7 billion) proposed takeover of rival Mediobanca SpA.

  • July 02, 2025

    FisherBroyles Grows London Footprint With New Lawyer Hire

    FisherBroyles LLP said it has grown its presence in London with the addition of a transactional and disputes lawyer who has a cross-border background in advising clients on energy, infrastructure and commercial matters around Europe, the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.

  • July 02, 2025

    Ingersoll Rand Buys Italy's Termomeccanica For $188M

    Ingersoll Rand Inc. has acquired Termomeccanica Industrial Compressors SpA and its subsidiary Adicomp SpA in a €160 million ($188 million) deal aimed at expanding its presence in the renewable natural gas and industrial compressor markets.

  • July 09, 2025

    MoFo Bags HSF Kramer Leveraged Finance Partner In London

    Morrison Foerster has hired a borrowing specialist as a partner to join its finance and private equity groups team in London as the firm responds to "building momentum" in the market.

  • July 02, 2025

    Brainlab Delays Frankfurt IPO Amid Market Uncertainty

    German medical technology business Brainlab SE said Wednesday that it will postpone its planned approximately €520 million ($612 million) initial public offering on the Frankfurt stock exchange, after it failed to announce the final price of its shares expected a day earlier.

  • July 02, 2025

    Fletchers Acquires Shoosmiths' Serious Injury Practice

    Private equity-backed Fletchers Solicitors said Wednesday it has bought the serious injury unit of rival Shoosmiths LLP, continuing a series of high-profile deals for the claimant law firm.

  • July 02, 2025

    Schroder BSC Social Impact Trust Considers Wind-Down

    Schroder BSC Social Impact Trust PLC said Wednesday that it may wind down its business soon as the ethical investment arm of Schroders PLC battles with attracting new investors and growing its assets, citing "challenging market conditions over recent years."

  • July 02, 2025

    Private Stock Market Plan Could Disrupt London IPO Goals

    A world-first regulated market for private company shares might harm the U.K.'s objective of stimulating the market for initial public offerings in London if it offers corporate founders a new alternative to the scrutiny of flotations.

  • July 02, 2025

    Aviva Completes £3.7B Direct Line Acquisition

    Aviva said Wednesday that it has completed the acquisition of insurance rival Direct Line in a £3.7 billion ($5.1 billion) cash and stock acquisition, after clinching final regulatory clearance.

  • July 02, 2025

    K3 Eyes Canceling AIM Listing, Returning £29M To Investors

    Fashion software firm K3 said Wednesday that it wants to return up to £29 million ($40 million) to investors via a share buyback, amid plans for the company to quit the London Stock Exchange's junior investment market.

  • July 02, 2025

    Euronext Considers €399M Athens Stock Exchange Deal

    Euronext is in negotiations to acquire the Athens Stock Exchange SA in an all-share transaction worth €399 million ($470 million) as it aims to add another European bourse to its portfolio

  • July 02, 2025

    Kirkland, Simpson Thacher Guide KKR's £4.1B Spectris Bid

    High-tech instruments manufacturer Spectris said on Wednesday that it has given its backing to a £4.1 billion ($5.6 billion) takeover by U.S. private equity giant KKR, which has outbid a £3.8 billion offer by another PE firm, Advent.

  • July 01, 2025

    5 Firms Guide In Intralot's €2.7B Buy Of Bally's Business

    Greek gambling company Intralot SA, with guidance from Milbank LLP and a second firm, will acquire Bally's Corporation's international interactive business in a cash-and-shares deal valuing the division at €2.7 billion ($3.19 billion), with three firms, including Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP and Nixon Peabody LLP, advising Bally's.

  • July 01, 2025

    Spain's Santander To Buy TSB From Sabadell For $3.6B

    Spain's Banco Santander said Tuesday it has agreed to buy British bank TSB from Banco de Sabadell in a £2.65 billion ($3.64 billion) all-cash deal, a move that would expand Santander's footprint in the U.K. retail banking market as Sabadell faces a hostile takeover attempt.

  • July 01, 2025

    Mayer Brown-Led Aviva Seals Pension Deal For Packaging Co.

    Aviva said Tuesday that it has completed a £249 million ($341 million) buy-in transaction to acquire the pensions of approximately 3,500 members of the Molins UK Pension Fund.

  • July 01, 2025

    Swedbank To Buy Digital Mortgage Biz Stabelo For $37M

    Swedish multinational banking group Swedbank AB said Tuesday that it has agreed to acquire mortgage lender Stabelo to reach more prospective homeowners for an initial price of 350 million Swedish krona ($37 million) from Avanza Bank AB and other owners.

Expert Analysis

  • What The Dignity Takeover Deal Says About M&A Trends

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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.

  • ECJ Fiat Ruling Sets Clear Boundaries For EU State Aid Law

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    The European Court of Justice's recent landmark decision in Fiat v. Commission limiting the commission’s attempts to circumvent the lack of EU powers in the area of tax law has important implications in EU state aid law and beyond, say Andreas Reindl and Pietro Stella at Van Bael.

  • Cos. Can Expect Intense Antitrust Enforcement This Year

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    In 2023, authorities in the U.K. and Europe are expected to push the boundaries of antitrust enforcement, merger control and foreign investment screening with the goal of achieving positive outcomes for consumers, say Nicole Kar and Tara Rudra at Linklaters.

  • Foreign Direct Investment Considerations For Buyers, Sellers

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    The rapidly developing legal and regulatory foreign direct investment landscape means the challenge for deal makers is in navigating the continuously changing rules and understanding the manner in which regulators interpret them, says Kurt Ma at BCLP.

  • Widely Forecast UK Recession Is Likely To Reshape M&As

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    Despite the economic downturn in the U.K., transactions will continue to get done in 2023, albeit with more complex terms and a greater focus on undertaking vigorous due diligence on customer relationships and contracts, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • Czech Z-Trade Ruling Shows Benefit Of Compliance Program

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    With its recent Z-Trade fine reduction decision, the Czech Office for the Protection of Competition has for the first time put into practice its compliance program consideration policy, providing a further incentive for companies to implement such programs and underlining the office's intention to pay attention to them, say Vojtech Chloupek and Martin Taimr at Bird & Bird.

  • Lessons That May Be Learned From The Demise Of Made.com

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    With Made.com going into administration, companies that may face similar challenges should take on board that the earlier adequate preemptive planning is considered, the more financial and legal options there will be to avoid last minute firefighting and to focus instead on strengthening the business, says Eleni Michaela at Faegre Drinker.

  • Link Ruling Shows FCA's Wide Change-In-Control Powers

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    The Financial Conduct Authority's recent decision regarding the proposed acquisition of Link Fund Solutions is a reminder that the regulator has significant powers to attach conditions to its approvals and the advent of the Financial Services and Markets Bill could lead to the widening of those powers, say Charlotte Hill and Daniel Hirschfield at Taylor Wessing.

  • Takeaways For Transaction Parties After UK Acquisition Block

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    The U.K. government recently used its retrospective powers under the National Security and Investment Act for the first time to block Nexperia’s acquisition of Newport Wafer Fab, highlighting the considerations that parties have to evaluate when contemplating transactions in high-risk areas, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • Understanding The EU's New Foreign Subsidies Regulation

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    The European Parliament’s newly adopted Foreign Subsidies Regulation extends already wide-ranging European Union state aid powers and adds new layers of deal conditionality, so companies will need to carefully consider how the regulation may affect their EU-bound activities, say Peter Camesasca and Sophie Bertin at Covington.

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