Mergers & Acquisitions

  • October 02, 2024

    Fried Frank's M&A Co-Head Views Rate Cuts, AI With Caution

    While it might be tempting to jump with joy about the Federal Reserve's recent rate cut, Philip Richter, co-head of Fried Frank's mergers and acquisitions practice, takes a more measured view. Here, Law360 talks to Richter about the rate cut, the upcoming presidential election, artificial intelligence and more.

  • October 02, 2024

    Darktrace Leaves London After $5B Bid By US Co. Completes

    British cybersecurity company Darktrace PLC said on Wednesday that its shares are no longer trading on the London Stock Exchange after the scheme of arrangement for its takeover by U.S. private equity firm Thoma Bravo for approximately $5.3 billion was completed.

  • October 02, 2024

    Investors Get Another Extension For £253M Payments Co. Bid

    Britain's mergers and acquisitions authority has again given a group of investment companies more time to make a firm offer of £253 million ($336 million) for Equals Group, the payments technology company said on Wednesday.

  • October 01, 2024

    Kroger Says Labor Costs Led To Price Hikes At Colo. Stores

    A Kroger Co. pricing director testified Tuesday that the company raised prices at eight Colorado stores that have little competition in order to cover higher labor and operational costs in those mountain communities, during a trial in the state's bid to block the grocer's proposed $24.6 billion merger with Albertsons.

  • October 01, 2024

    Ex-NBA Star's Big Paydays Not Relevant In Hoops Fraud Trial

    Dwight Howard's NBA contracts exceeding $240 million over his 18-year playing career are irrelevant to charges that an Atlanta businessman defrauded the ex-basketball superstar out of $7 million, a Manhattan federal judge held Tuesday.

  • October 01, 2024

    Davis Polk-Led Brazilian Lubricants Maker Eyes $400M IPO

    Moove Lubricants Holdings, a private equity-backed lubricants producer based in Brazil, on Tuesday unveiled terms for an estimated $400 million initial public offering, represented by Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP and underwriters' counsel Paul Hastings LLP.

  • October 01, 2024

    Most TA Dispatch Claims Fall In Chancery Celadon Suit

    Alabama trucking and transport management company TA Dispatch LLC saw three of its four claims tossed Tuesday from its Delaware Court of Chancery suit seeking millions in damages from directors and officers of a transport and logistics company that went bankrupt shortly after selling TA Dispatch severely hobbled assets.

  • October 01, 2024

    Willis Towers Watson Inks $632M Sale Of Tranzact To PE Firms

    Insurance company Willis Towers Watson Plc, advised by Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP, on Tuesday announced that it is divesting its direct-to-consumer insurance distribution business Tranzact and selling it to Kirkland & Ellis LLP-advised private equity firm GTCR and Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP-led technology services investment platform Recognize for $632.4 million.

  • October 01, 2024

    Monthly Merger Review Snapshot

    European enforcers saw a key merger policy cut down by the bloc's high court, while Kroger and Albertsons defended their planned $24.6 billion grocery store mega-merger from challenges in multiple venues, and the Federal Trade Commission pushed a bid to block a merger between the owners of Coach and Michael Kors.

  • October 01, 2024

    Paul Weiss Adds Former Apollo GC As NY Corporate Partner

    A former partner and general counsel for the credit arm of Apollo Global Management is now a partner in Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP's corporate department, the firm said Tuesday.

  • October 01, 2024

    PepsiCo Buying Siete In $1.2B Deal Steered By 3 Law Firms

    PepsiCo said Tuesday it has agreed to buy Mexican-American food purveyor Siete Foods for $1.2 billion, with Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP steering the deal on PepsiCo's behalf and Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP and Armbrust & Brown PLLC advising Siete.

  • October 01, 2024

    After 72 Years, Browdy & Neimark Moves To FisherBroyles

    The Washington, D.C., intellectual property boutique Browdy & Neimark PLLC is closing its doors after 72 years in business, as the firm's four attorneys move their practices to FisherBroyles LLP.

  • October 01, 2024

    Latham Reps CPP Investments In $15B Equinix Data Center JV

    Latham & Watkins advised Canada Pension Plan Investment Board in a joint venture with digital infrastructure developer Equinix Inc. and Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC that could invest $15 billion to build data centers. 

  • October 01, 2024

    Pfizer Sells £2.4B Of Shares In Advil Owner Haleon

    Pharmaceuticals titan Pfizer Inc. said Tuesday that it has reduced its stake in Haleon PLC, a maker of oral health products, by selling its shares to investors and raising approximately £2.43 billion ($3.24 billion) in the process.

  • October 01, 2024

    4 Firms Guide Partners Group In €6.7B Sale Of German Biz

    Swiss private equity shop Partners Group said Tuesday that it is selling its stake in a German digital energy metering business to Texas-based TPG and Singapore's sovereign wealth fund for approximately €6.7 billion ($7.4 billion).

  • October 01, 2024

    Freshfields Guides Abu Dhabi Oil In €14.7B German Bid

    Abu Dhabi's state-owned oil company said Tuesday that it will buy a German chemicals producer, Covestro AG, in a €14.7 billion ($16.3 billion) deal as the Gulf state seeks to lower its dependence on oil amid the transition to green energy.

  • September 30, 2024

    Colo. Says Kroger Merger Would Divest To 'Retail Liquidator'

    Colorado enforcers told a state judge Monday that Kroger Co.'s plan to inoculate against the anticompetitive effects of its $25 billion merger with Albertsons is doomed to fail because the company that would acquire hundreds of stores is a "liquidator" with no intention of running the stores long term.

  • September 30, 2024

    Pa. Bankruptcy Court OKs $53M Sale Of Nursing Homes

    A federal bankruptcy judge approved the proposed sale of nine western Pennsylvania nursing homes to affiliates of Kadima Healthcare Group for $53 million Monday, as part of Chapter 11 proceedings for more than a dozen facilities operating under the umbrella of Comprehensive Healthcare Management Systems.

  • September 30, 2024

    Bristol-Myers Beats Celgene Investors' Drug Delay Suit

    A New York federal judge on Monday tossed UMB Bank's claims that Bristol-Myers Squibb improperly delayed U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of a cancer treatment to avoid paying shareholders $6.4 billion owed from a 2019 acquisition of Celgene Corp., saying the bank lacked standing to sue.

  • September 30, 2024

    Private Trading Platform Scraps SPAC Merger In Favor Of IPO

    Special-purpose acquisition company Blockchain Coinvestors Acquisition Corp. I said Monday that its merger agreement with private investment platform Linqto Inc. has been terminated, while Linqto separately announced it will go public through an initial public offering instead.

  • September 30, 2024

    Alaska-Hawaiian Merger, An Aviation Anomaly

    A promise to keep their distinct brands and a smaller national market share with few overlapping routes helped Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines seal their merger, a rare feat amid the Biden administration's tough antitrust enforcement and zealous opposition to consolidation, experts say.

  • September 30, 2024

    FCC Approves Audacy's Soros Deal, Triggering GOP Anger

    The Federal Communications Commission has given the green light to the purchase of an ownership interest in bankrupt radio station owner Audacy Inc. by a fund manager with ties to George Soros.

  • September 30, 2024

    Chancery Sidelines Squarespace Merger Doc Suit For Now

    A Delaware Court of Chancery action to compel stockholder access to website builder Squarespace Inc.'s corporate records remained under a stay Monday, after a court finding that the suit aimed to preserve future review rights focused on a proposed $7.2 billion company take-private deal.

  • September 30, 2024

    Activist Investor Urges Basic-Fit Gym Operator To Sell

    Buckley Capital Management LLC made an appeal to the board of Basic-Fit NV on Monday recommending that the company undergo a strategic review with the intention of selling the business and going private.

  • September 30, 2024

    FTC Withdraws From Feds' Merger Review Labor Pact

    The Federal Trade Commission is withdrawing from an agreement signed in August with the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board that's meant to increase collaboration when looking at labor issues in mergers.

Expert Analysis

  • Del. Ruling Highlights M&A Deal Adviser Conflict Disclosures

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    The Delaware Supreme Court recently reversed the Court of Chancery's dismissal of challenges to Nordic Capital's acquisition of Inovalon, demonstrating the importance of full disclosure of financial adviser conflicts when a going-private merger seeks business judgment rule review, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Key Antitrust Class Certification Questions Remain Unclear

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    The U.S. Supreme Court, by recently rejecting certiorari in Visa v. National ATM, turned down the opportunity to clarify how to analyze disputed evidence bearing on the certification of antitrust class actions, leaving the applicable standards unclear instead of resolving this split of authority, says Jonathan Berman at Jones Day.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Text Message Data

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    Electronically stored information on cellphones, and in particular text messages, can present unique litigation challenges, and recent court decisions demonstrate that counsel must carefully balance what data should be preserved, collected, reviewed and produced, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Dual-Track IPO-M&A Exit Strategies For Life Science Cos.

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    A dual-track process for life sciences companies offers a proven path to securing favorable deal terms for an exit, and strategic moves can include running a crossover financing round in the lead-up, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • How New Rule Would Change CFIUS Enforcement Powers

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    Before the May 15 comment deadline, companies may want to weigh in on proposed regulatory changes to enforcement and mitigation tools at the disposal of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, including broadened subpoena powers, difficult new mitigation timelines and higher maximum penalties, say attorneys at Venable.

  • PE In The Crosshairs Of Public And Private Antitrust Enforcers

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    A series of decisions from a California federal court in the recently settled Packaged Seafood Products Antitrust Litigation, as well as heightened scrutiny from federal agencies, serve as a reminder that private equity firms may be exposed to liability for alleged anti-competitive conduct by their portfolio companies, say attorneys at Axinn.

  • Series

    Swimming Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Years of participation in swimming events, especially in the open water, have proven to be ideal preparation for appellate arguments in court — just as you must put your trust in the ocean when competing in a swim event, you must do the same with the judicial process, says John Kulewicz at Vorys.

  • A Recipe For Growth Equity Investing In A Slow M&A Market

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    Carl Marcellino at Ropes & Gray discusses the factors bolstering appetite for growth equity fundraising in a depressed M&A market, and walks through the deal terms and other ingredients that set growth equity transactions apart from bread-and-butter venture capital investing.

  • PE-Healthcare Mergers Should Prepare For Challenges

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    State and federal regulators are increasingly imposing new requirements on healthcare transactions involving private equity partners, with mergers that would have drawn little scrutiny a few years ago now requiring a multijurisdictional risk analysis during the deal formation process, say attorneys at Stinson.

  • Why RWI Insurers Should Consider Excluding PFAS

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    As regulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances escalates, carriers providing representations and warranties insurance should reconsider providing PFAS coverage on a case-by-case basis, say Dave Bartoletti and Ina Avalon at Taft Stettinius.

  • Don't Use The Same Template For Every Client Alert

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    As the old marketing adage goes, consistency is key, but law firm style guides need consistency that contemplates variety when it comes to client alert formats, allowing attorneys to tailor alerts to best fit the audience and subject matter, says Jessica Kaplan at Legally Penned.

  • Online Portal Helps Fortify Feds' Unfair Health Practices Fight

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    The Federal Trade Commission, U.S. Justice Department and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently launched an online portal where the public can report potentially unfair healthcare practices, effectively maximizing enforcers' abilities to police anti-competitive actions that can drive up healthcare costs and chill innovation, say attorneys at Seyfarth.

  • Series

    Walking With My Dog Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Thanks to my dog Birdie, I've learned that carving out an activity different from the practice of law — like daily outdoor walks that allow you to interact with new people — can contribute to professional success by boosting creativity and mental acuity, as well as expanding your social network, says Sarah Petrie at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.

  • Navigating SPAC Market Challenges For Microcap Issuers

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    For microcap issuers, the special-purpose acquisition vehicle market tells a cautionary tale in which few targets attain the advantages they seek, and important considerations for companies with market capitalization of under $300 million include negotiating costs and expenses upfront to avoid becoming saddled with debt, say attorneys at Lucosky Brookman.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Follow The Iron Rule Of Trial Logic

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    Many diligent and eager attorneys include every good fact, point and rule in their trial narratives — spurred by the gnawing fear they’ll be second-guessed for leaving something out — but this approach ignores a fundamental principle of successful trial lawyering, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

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