Law firms BLP and Greenberg Traurig end merger talks with parties unable to find “common ground” March 17, 2016 A proposed merger between City law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) and US company Greenberg Traurig has been called off. The law firms confirmed they were in talks over a merger last month. But BLP has now said the two firms "could not find enough common ground". Read more: Law firm mergers drop as partners focus on growth-driven takeovers Lisa Mayhew, [...]
China Merchants Group makes informal bid for London’s Baltic Exchange, according to sources March 16, 2016 China Merchants Group has made an informal bid for London’s Baltic Exchange, according to sources. It emerged in February that the Baltic Exchange, a financial maritime hub located in the heart of Canada, was being eyed by several companies, including the Singapore Exchange, CME Group, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), and Platts. And now [...]
London Stock Exchange group and Deutsche Boerse agree on “merger of equals” March 16, 2016 The London Stock Exchange group and Deutsche Boerse today agreed on a "merger of equals" which will bolster the two exchanges. If it goes through, LS shareholders will own 45.6 per cent of the new company. Meanwhile, shareholders of the Frankfurt-based exchange Deutsche Boerse will get the remaining 54.4 per cent. Last month, LSE revealed it was in merger talks [...]
Global finance M&A activity in 2016 hits seven-year high, with London Stock Exchange deal pushing UK to top of sector March 15, 2016 Global finance mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity is at its highest year-to-date level since 2009, according to new figures. And the UK has been the leading nation for finance-targeted M&A so far in 2016, according to Dealogic. Between 1 January and 14 March this year, the volume of reported finance-targeted M&A has been $56.2bn (£39.6bn). [...]
Mid-market businesses pursuing M&A “significantly” up in 2016, new study finds March 14, 2016 Mid-market businesses are “significantly more inclined” to engage in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in 2016 than previously, a new study has found. Some 53 per cent of mid-market business leaders are certain or likely to pursue M&A or external growth this year, Capstone Strategic’s State of Middle Market M&A 2015 found. The most likely reasons [...]
M&A firm Clearwater International expands further into Europe with French and German company mergers March 14, 2016 London-headquartered Clearwater International, a mid-market mergers and acquisitions (M&A) firm, has today grown its presence further into Europe. Germany-based @Visory and France’s Easton Corporate Finance have merged into the company with immediate effect. Clearwater will now have 15 office locations, with around 200 staff now covering Europe, North America and Asia. The company said it [...]
Standard Bank talks up “buoyant” 2016 African landscape for M&A March 10, 2016 Africa’s landscape for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) is "buoyant” and there are more opportunities in the continent than ever before, according to South Africa-based Standard Bank. “There has been an increase in M&A activity, especially in East and West Africa, as European multinationals search for opportunities to counter slowing growth at home," said the bank's [...]
People risks disrupting M&A activity as cross-border deals become more popular, new study finds March 10, 2016 A new report has highlighted M&A dealmakers' concerns over people risks impacting on transactions. Issues such as employee retention, cultural integration and talent management are especially prominent in relation to cross-border deals, according to Mercer’s People Risks in M&A Transactions report, out today. In addition to legislative and regulatory issues, Mercer also highlighted concerns over cultural and operational [...]
Nearly three-quarters of UK executives report M&A deal delays because of data loss, research finds March 10, 2016 Nearly three-quarters of UK executives involved in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) have admitted to deals being delayed because of critical data loss, according to new research. These losses of information from documents, emails, devices and IT systems accounted for deals being delayed by an average of 12 days, according to Ansarada, a virtual data room [...]
Teva expected to win European Commission approval for $40.5bn Allergan deal March 9, 2016 Teva Pharmaceutical Industries is expected to win antitrust approval from the European Commission for a $40.5bn (£28.5bn) bid for Allergan's generics unit. If the deal is closed, Allergan will receive $33.75bn in cash and shares of Teva valued at $6.75bn. The deal is set to get the go-ahead from the European Commission after Teva agreed [...]