Mergers & Acquisitions

July 01, 2024
Sullivan & Cromwell Pilots Boeing $4.7B Spirit Aero Takeover

Boeing said Monday it has agreed to acquire aircraft parts maker Spirit AeroSystems in a $4.7 billion all-share deal under which rival Airbus will also take control of the European-linked operations of Spirit in return for $559 million in compensation.
June 28, 2024
Chevron's End Is Just The Start For Energized Agency Foes

By knocking down a powerful precedent that has towered over administrative law for 40 years, the U.S. Supreme Court's right wing Friday gave a crowning achievement to anti-agency attorneys. But for those attorneys, the achievement is merely a means to an end, and experts expect a litigation blitzkrieg to materialize quickly in the aftermath.
June 28, 2024
In Chevron Case, Justices Trade One Unknown For Another

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overrule a decades-old judicial deference doctrine may cause the "eternal fog of uncertainty" surrounding federal agency actions to dissipate and level the playing field in challenges of government policies, but lawyers warn it raises new questions over what rules courts must follow and how judges will implement them.
June 28, 2024
Chancery Court, Not Accountant, To Resolve Curaleaf Dispute

A post-merger dispute between cannabis dispensary giant Curaleaf and the former owner of a multistate cannabis operation it acquired in 2022 must be resolved by Delaware's Court of Chancery and not an independent accountant, the court's chancellor said Friday.
June 28, 2024
As Election Looms, M&A Attys Advise To 'Stay The Course'

The contentious presidential election is bound to rattle mergers and acquisitions activity in the short term, and the eventual winner will create unique sets of winners and losers in the market, but attorneys have a simple message to clients: "Stay the course."
June 28, 2024
Consulting Co. Says Rivals Merged Despite Promising Not To

A software consulting company seeking to block a merger between two competitors alleged in a suit in Colorado state court that the rivals have shown "blatant disregard" for a noncompete pact brokered during earlier talks to combine all three companies.
June 28, 2024
Most H.I.G. Capital Claims Advance In $915M Del. Audax Suit

A Delaware Superior Court judge has kept alive much of a suit filed by affiliates of H.I.G. Capital alleging "brazen" sell-side fraud and conspiracy by interests of Audax Group in connection with H.I.G.'s $915 million deal in early 2022 for an allegedly overvalued Mobileum Inc.
June 28, 2024
NY Law Firm Botched Gas Co. Sale, Ex-Client Says

Albany, New York-based Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP is facing a lawsuit in New York federal court alleging it failed to properly structure the sale of a gas company and caused its owner to incur an avoidable tax liability.
June 28, 2024
4 Things To Know As New SPAC Rules Take Effect

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's new rules governing special-purpose acquisition companies take effect on Monday, marking an expansive attempt to strengthen oversight of SPAC deals. Here, Law360 examines what to expect as the agency's 581-page rule package goes live.
June 28, 2024
Taxation With Representation: Kirkland, Vinson, Skadden

In this week's Taxation with Representation, Aareal Bank AG and Advent International sell a property management and maintenance software company, Webtoon Entertainment Inc. and Tamboran Resources Corp. price initial public offerings, SM Energy Company acquires oil and gas assets, and Nokia sells Alcatel Submarine Networks to the French state.
June 28, 2024
Skadden Guides Nokia On $2.3B Infinera Buy, Stock Pops

Skadden is representing Nokia on a deal to buy Silicon Valley optical-transmission equipment maker Infinera at a $2.3 billion enterprise value, as the Finnish telecommunications giant looks to upsize its North American optical markets business.
June 28, 2024
Supreme Court Strikes Down Chevron Deference

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday overturned a decades-old precedent that instructed judges about when they could defer to federal agencies' interpretations of law in rulemaking, depriving courts of a commonly used analytic tool and leaving lots of questions about what comes next.
June 28, 2024
US Door Maker Sweetens £788M Bid For UK Rival To £818M

Window and door parts maker Quanex said Friday that it has revised its approximately £788 million ($971 million) bid for rival Tyman PLC to nearly £818 million by topping it up with a special dividend of 15 pence per share.
June 28, 2024
Keywords 'Minded To Recommend' PE Biz's Lower £1.96B Bid

The board of Keywords Studios PLC said Friday it is willing to back a reduced £1.96 billion ($2.5 billion) proposed offer from EQT AB after the Swedish private equity firm reviewed the books of the Irish video game services company.
June 27, 2024
B. Riley-Linked SPAC To Settle Del. Class Action For $8.5M

The co-chairman of B. Riley Financial Inc. and others have agreed to pay $8.5 million to settle a class action in Delaware's Court of Chancery accusing them of making misleading and inadequate disclosures leading up to a $320 million special-purpose acquisition company deal for battery storage venture Eos Energy Storage LLC.
June 27, 2024
Live Nation Tries To Push DOJ's Antitrust Suit Out Of NY

Counsel for Live Nation Entertainment and subsidiary Ticketmaster on Thursday told a skeptical Manhattan federal judge that the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust case belongs in D.C. federal court, where the green light was given for the companies' 2010 merger.
June 27, 2024
Colo. AG's Kroger Merger Suit Survives Dismissal Bid

A Colorado state judge has refused to toss a suit challenging Kroger's planned $24 billion purchase of Albertsons, rejecting the grocery chains' arguments that state enforcers are asking for an overly broad, nationwide injunction by seeking to block the deal.
June 27, 2024
AbbVie Buys Bowel Disease Biotech Celsius For $250M

Chicago-based pharmaceutical company AbbVie said Thursday it has acquired Celsius Therapeutics Inc., a privately held clinical-stage biotechnology company developing therapies for patients with inflammatory disease, for $250 million.
June 27, 2024
Deals Rumor Mill: Boeing, Blackstone, Bosch

Boeing offers $4 billion for parts maker Spirit AeroSystems, Blackstone could sell Legence at up to $5 billion value, and Bosch mulls a bid for Whirlpool. Here, Law360 breaks down the notable deal rumors from the past week.
June 27, 2024
Free-Speech Orgs Tell DC Circ. TikTok Ban Is Prior Restraint

A collection of free speech and press groups has urged the D.C. Circuit to strike down Congress' TikTok sale-or-ban law, calling the statute a "direct and serious threat" to First Amendment freedoms in an amicus brief.
June 27, 2024
Boeing Settles Suit Claiming NC Fund Ransomed Plane Parts

The Boeing Co. and the private investment firm it accused of forcing a new supply contract under false pretenses before raising prices for aircraft parts by more than 300% have agreed to settle their dispute, according to a new notice filed in North Carolina federal court.
June 27, 2024
Honeywell Says Sourcing Co. Backpedaled On Supply Deal

Honeywell has accused a sourcing company of trying to claw its way out of a contract to buy medical-grade gloves by fabricating quality concerns and launching a bogus recall in an allegedly underhanded way to make itself more appealing to potential buyers.
June 27, 2024
Sichenzia Ross Guiding Fuel Cell Co. On $130M SPAC Merger

Sichenzia Ross Ference Carmel LLP is advising Infintium Fuel Cell Systems Inc. on a newly inked blank-check company consolidation deal that values the hydrogen fuel cell technology provider at $130 million.
June 27, 2024
Kirkland, V&E Build $2.55B Sale Of Uinta Basin Assets

SM Energy Company, advised by Kirkland & Ellis LLP, on Thursday unveiled plans to acquire the Uinta Basin oil and gas assets from private equity-backed XCL Resources LLC, led by Vinson & Elkins LLP, for an unadjusted purchase price of $2.55 billion, then sell an undivided 20% of those assets to Kirkland-led Northern Oil and Gas for $510 million.
June 27, 2024
Nokia To Sell Submarine Network To France In $375M Deal

Skadden-led Nokia said Thursday it has agreed to sell submarine network business Alcatel Submarine Networks, or ASN, to the French state at an enterprise value of €350 million ($375 million).

Expert Analysis

Copyright And Generative AI Developments To Watch In 2024

This year could bring clarity to critical copyright issues raised by the recent surge of development in generative AI platforms, as Congress continues its legislative focus in this area and litigation tests theories of liability, say Joshua Weigensberg and Felicity Kohn at Pryor Cashman.
5 Litigation Funding Trends To Note In 2024

Over the next year and beyond, litigation funding will continue to evolve in ways that affect attorneys and the larger litigation landscape, from the growth of a secondary market for funded claims, to rising interest rates restricting the availability of capital, says Jeffery Lula at GLS Capital.
Antitrust And ESG: Maximizing Targets, Ensuring Compliance

Jennifer McAlpin at Verizon and Michaela Spero at Amadeus consider the convergence of antitrust and environmental, social and corporate governance factors, providing an executive overview of areas to watch, including mergers and acquisitions, as well as practical implementation tips for general counsel.
4 Legal Ethics Considerations For The New Year

As attorneys and clients reset for a new year, now is a good time to take a step back and review some core ethical issues that attorneys should keep front of mind in 2024, including approaching generative artificial intelligence with caution and care, and avoiding pitfalls in outside counsel guidelines, say attorneys at HWG.
SEC Case May Expand Scope Of Insider Trading Liability

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's first-of-its-kind enforcement action against an individual in a case involving "shadow trading" demarcates an expansion of insider trading liability to circumstances in which there is a market connection between the source of information and the issuer of the securities traded, say attorneys at Steptoe.
What The Law Firm Of The Future Will Look Like

As the legal landscape shifts, it’s become increasingly clear that the BigLaw business model must adapt in four key ways to remain viable, from fostering workplace flexibility to embracing technology, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.
The Year Ahead In Foreign Investment And National Security

In 2024, expect the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, already at the forefront of addressing national security threats, to increase monitoring and enforcement related to outbound investment, focus on supply chain resilience in nondefense sectors, and heighten oversight of agricultural transactions, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.
4 PR Pointers When Your Case Is In The News

Media coverage of new lawsuits exploded last year, demonstrating why defense attorneys should devise a public relations plan that complements their legal strategy, incorporating several objectives to balance ethical obligations and advocacy, say Nathan Burchfiel at Pinkston and Ryan June at Castañeda + Heidelman.
Antitrust Enforcement Initiatives To Watch In 2024

The U.S. Department of Justice is likely to prioritize information-sharing prosecutions in 2024, following last year's withdrawal of safe harbors, as well as labor market enforcement after trial losses forced a pullback in 2023, say attorneys at Fried Frank.
Law Firm Strategies For Successfully Navigating 2024 Trends

Though law firms face the dual challenge of external and internal pressures as they enter 2024, firms willing to pivot will be able to stand out by adapting to stakeholder needs and reimagining their infrastructure, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Consultants.
The Most-Read Legal Industry Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023

A range of legal industry topics drew readers' attention in Law360's Expert Analysis section this year, from associate retention strategies to ethical billing practices.
What The 2023 Bank Failures Taught Us, And What's To Come

As 2023 draws to a close, it's apparent that the bank failures this past spring sparked a seismic shift in the regulatory and supervisory landscape for banking organizations, and the consequences are still continuing to be felt throughout the financial sector as we head into 2024, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
Trends Shaping The 2024 Consumer Packaged Goods Industry

The better-for-you segment within the consumer packaged goods industry is poised for a significant evolution in 2024, and industry players must remain agile and adaptive through M&A activities, legal considerations, sustainability initiatives and changing technology, says Christopher Cain at Foley & Lardner.
Attorneys' Busiest Times Can Be Business Opportunities

Attorneys who resolve to grow their revenue and client base in 2024 should be careful not to abandon their goals when they get too busy with client work, because these periods of zero bandwidth can actually be a catalyst for future growth, says Amy Drysdale at Alchemy Consulting.
In The World Of Legal Ethics, 10 Trends To Note From 2023

Lucian Pera at Adams and Reese and Trisha Rich at Holland & Knight identify the top legal ethics trends from 2023 — including issues related to hot documents, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity — that lawyers should be aware of to put their best foot forward.