Despite practical challenges, earnouts are a tool that PE buyers should increasingly consider to reconcile differences and get deals done.
The use of earnouts, though historically disliked by PE buyers, is increasing...more
Buyout firms must beware the unique legal, regulatory, and commercial issues that can complicate sports transactions and impact returns.
Private equity interest in sports assets has grown over the last few years, with...more
Amid FDI screening regime expansion, deal teams have opportunities to capitalise on newly available exemptions, but must beware novel complexities.
US intervention in the proposed acquisition of hotel-software company...more
Digital due diligence becomes increasingly important when buying digitally native beauty brands.
Recent high-profile beauty M&A deals, coupled with current economic uncertainty, have brought renewed interest in the...more
Buyout firms planning an acquisition or preparing a portfolio company for exit must consider the impact of poor corporate culture, particularly on a potential IPO.
No institution, whatever its geography, industry, sector,...more
How can deal teams capitalise on the latest trend in the deal insurance market to improve bid success?
The emergence of contingent risk insurance policies, which address known risks that would otherwise be excluded from...more
Negotiating market price, fund economics, management and other investors, documents, and approvals are key to leveraging fund-to-fund transfers.
Following significant fundraising activity, sponsors have substantial capital...more
Buyout firms and portfolio companies should take note of heightened scrutiny of HR and employment practices by antitrust enforcers, both in the US and in Europe. No-poach and wage-fixing agreements — arrangements between...more
12/9/2019
/ Antitrust Division ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Competition Authorities ,
Contract Terms ,
Criminal Investigations ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Authority ,
EU ,
France ,
Gun-Jumping ,
Ireland ,
Italy ,
Merger Controls ,
No-Poaching ,
Portfolio Companies ,
Private Equity Firms ,
Risk Assessment ,
Risk Management ,
Technology Sector ,
UK ,
Wage-Fixing
Sustainable finance and its surrounding infrastructure offers growing potential for deals and green innovation.
The global sustainable finance market has expanded rapidly in recent years, approaching US$320 billion in new...more
12/9/2019
/ Acquisitions ,
Asset Management ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Debt Market ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
Green Bonds ,
Green Finance ,
Investment ,
Mergers ,
Private Equity ,
Private Equity Funds ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Sustainability ,
UK ,
United Nations
As management terms converge, deal teams must still navigate cross-border differences in ratchets, put and call options, and management warranties.
French and UK private equity firms are increasingly looking across the...more
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
Adherence to secrecy, pre-announcement preparations, realistic expectations-setting, and strategic plans for taking control are keys to P2P deal success.
The deal market has seen a resurgence in public to private (P2P)...more
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)
Persisting political and economic uncertainty means awareness of market changes remains crucial.
The 2008 distress cycle triggered defaults and restructurings for European PE portfolio companies, as maintenance covenant...more
Cornerstone investments can assist a firm’s overall exit objective, particularly when there are bidders for a portfolio company but no outright buyer.
Cornerstone investments, which involve taking a stake in an...more
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
With the explosion of AI applications, private equity houses and their portfolio companies must understand where key opportunities lie.
Artificial intelligence (AI) developments provide increasing opportunities for...more
Litigation funding, the third-party financing of legal costs in disputes, is increasingly common in the UK. As litigants have become comfortable with sophisticated litigation funders, these funders are responding to business...more
Ten years ago, a PE investment in a European bank would have been a rare occurrence. However, more recently, PE firms have deployed capital in the banking sector, encouraged by changing regulatory perceptions of PE bidders....more
In a continually evolving antitrust landscape, we consider five key trends that PE deal teams should be aware of.
Focus on Non-Controlling Stakes in Competing Companies -
Antitrust authorities are paying closer...more
3/13/2019
/ Acquisitions ,
Antitrust Division ,
Common Ownership ,
Competition Authorities ,
Document Productions ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Gun-Jumping ,
Investors ,
Merger Controls ,
Private Equity ,
UK
Recent and upcoming regulatory guidance on cryptoassets and the regulation of companies engaged in digital currency, such as issuers, crypto-exchanges, crypto-custodians, crypto-brokers, and other service providers, could...more
3/13/2019
/ Banking Sector ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Currency ,
EU ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Investors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Payment Processors ,
Private Equity ,
Regulatory Reform ,
UK
Earn-outs, where additional consideration is paid post-completion based on the performance of a target business, are becoming increasingly common in private M&A transactions. Our recent survey of European deals between July...more
English Premier League football clubs may start to look more attractive for investment following the League’s £5.14 billion live broadcasting deal with Sky and BT. The deal, for three years from the 2016-17 season, marks a...more
In a very seller-friendly market, UK-style management investment warranties are providing an increasingly popular source of comfort for PE buyers. Compressed deal timetables, restricted access for due diligence and limited or...more
During the past three years there has been a steadily increasing amount of money chasing a decreasing number of deals, as the graph below highlights. This, combined with readily available debt finance (despite the current...more
10/27/2014