Drawing on Latham’s Sixth Private M&A Market Study, we explore trends and developments in consideration mechanics and deal conditionality.
Uncertainty has been a significant market factor in 2019....more
Subcontractors, security, and audit and termination rights will require special consideration under forthcoming EBA outsourcing guidelines.
Recent growth in divestiture and carve-out deals in the M&A landscape, including...more
10/29/2019
/ Acquisitions ,
Banking Sector ,
Carve Out Provisions ,
Contract Terms ,
Divestiture ,
European Banking Authority (EBA) ,
Exit Strategies ,
Financial Institutions ,
Mergers ,
Outsourcing ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Subcontractors ,
Third-Party Service Provider ,
Transitional Arrangements
Companies must mitigate risks to antitrust privilege posed by cross-border megadeals and increased regulatory demand for documentation.
A strong M&A market has driven a high volume of megadeals across the globe in recent...more
10/29/2019
/ Acquisitions ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Attorney-Client Privilege ,
Contract Terms ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Cross-Border Transactions ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Jurisdiction ,
Mergers ,
Regulatory Agencies ,
Risk Management ,
UK ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
Buyers’ best defence against M&A fraud requires rigorous, pre-closing due diligence — when fraud is suspected, deal teams should seek legal advice and proceed with caution.
Recent high-profile fraud cases gravely...more
10/29/2019
/ Accounting Fraud ,
Acquisitions ,
Auditors ,
Contract Terms ,
Due Diligence ,
Forensic Accounting ,
Fraud ,
Limitation of Liability Clause ,
Mergers ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Representations and Warranties ,
Risk Management ,
UK
How can private equity firms identify and mitigate inherited liability risk from vulnerable portfolio companies?
Ongoing big ticket regulatory fines coupled with high profile corporate veil cases indicate that private...more
9/30/2019
/ Acquisitions ,
British Airways ,
Data Breach ,
Due Diligence ,
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) ,
Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) ,
Mergers ,
Piercing the Corporate Veil ,
Portfolio Companies ,
Private Equity ,
Private Equity Firms ,
Risk Assessment ,
Risk Mitigation ,
Successor Liability ,
UK
Firms targeting assets divested by conglomerates still face obstacles, though barriers to PE investment in Japan are gradually falling.
Many hurdles that traditionally challenged private equity firms looking to invest in...more
9/30/2019
/ Acquisitions ,
Cross-Border Transactions ,
EU ,
Foreign Exchanges ,
Foreign Investment ,
Foreign Trade Regulations ,
Global Economy ,
Japan ,
Mergers ,
Popular ,
Private Equity ,
Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018 (TCTA 2018)
Companies previously considered immune from activist campaigns have come under pressure, driving new public and private deal opportunities for private equity.
US shareholder activists are an established presence in Europe....more
6/25/2019
/ Acquisitions ,
Complex Corporate Transactions ,
Corporate Governance ,
EU ,
Financial Sponsors ,
Mergers ,
Private Equity ,
Privately Held Corporations ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Shareholder Activism ,
Shareholders ,
Short Selling ,
UK
Corporates should leverage growing carve-out and divestment activity across the European market with a strategic approach to deal making.
In the current deal market, corporates are taking an increasingly strategic and...more
Warranty and indemnity insurance (W&I) has become a common feature of European transactions in recent years, amid a strong sellers’ market that has enabled vendors to offload risk to buyers. According to the most recent...more
As the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) prepares to assume sole jurisdiction for UK competition reviews post-Brexit, M&A deal teams must evaluate the competitive consequences of deals bridging the Brexit period and...more
1/11/2019
/ EU ,
European Merger Control Regulation ,
Jurisdiction ,
Member State ,
Merger Controls ,
Mergers ,
Risk Management ,
Strategic Planning ,
UK ,
UK Brexit ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
In June 2018, the UK adopted new powers to review certain technology related deals on national security grounds, extending the scope and breadth of its control regime to those that concern computing hardware, or quantum...more
1/11/2019
/ Acquisitions ,
CFIUS ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Emerging Technology Companies ,
EU ,
FIRRMA ,
Foreign Investment ,
Germany ,
Merger Controls ,
Mergers ,
National Security ,
Technology Sector ,
UK ,
UK Brexit ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
Growing economic nationalism is threatening to impact M&A across Europe, as governments and regulators take an increasing interest in “foreign” acquisitions of nationally important companies. Deal teams have previously...more
Amid a growing number of high-profile corporate data breaches, cybersecurity is now a key issue for strategic acquirers. Thehack of Yahoo, which came to light midway through its 2016 takeover by Verizon, resulted in a US$350...more
Companies operating in the “gig economy”, using a largely self-employed workforce, have enjoyed enormous growth in recent years and have made popular M&A targets. In the UK, these companies have come into conflict with...more
Dealmakers’ appetite for transactions involving publicly listed companies remains strong — 2016 saw an increase in deal volume, a trend which continues into 2017. However, deals remain challenging, partly due to limitations...more
Given ongoing competition between buyers in a strong sellers’ market, the resilience of seller break fees as a feature of the European M&A market is surprising. According to the Latham & Watkins 2017 European Private M&A...more