Corporate and M&A
Recognised leaders in Corporate and M&A
Our corporate and M&A practice is at the heart of our firm. Our reputation for providing our clients with high-quality, trusted support as they seek to implement their strategic ambitions is unrivalled.
We service a range of UK, regional and international clients in every sector, advising on a broad spectrum of corporate matters and leading on some of the most significant public and private transactions in the market. Our M&A transactions often have a global reach, and we work closely with our clients to navigate the complexities of cross-border deals in jurisdictions worldwide.
Beyond our transactional expertise, we offer comprehensive corporate and governance advice, addressing the critical issues that modern corporates face.
We:
- are the principal legal advisor to more companies listed on the London Stock Exchange than any of our competitors
- are regularly the most active law firm in the takeover area, acting on more takeover situations/approaches in the UK in 1H 2024 than any other law firm
- are the trusted corporate legal advisers to some of the major PRC private and SOE corporates and to many of Asia’s and Hong Kong’s blue chip listed clients who are at the forefront of commercial and financial innovation in the market
- remain close to the market, acting on the largest deals in the UK in 1H 2024 with a total value of GBP64.8 billion
- advise buyers, sellers and financial advisers on both public and private mergers and acquisitions, and private equity buyers on private equity financed deals
- deliver the full spectrum of services required for M&A transactions through multi-disciplinary teams who work seamlessly across our specialist groups
- have unrivalled credentials and are tier 1 in the latest editions of Chambers, Legal 500, IFLR1000 and Who’s Who Legal for M&A in the UK, China, Asia, and Europe and in the top tiers of the league table legal rankings published by Bloomberg, Mergermarket and Thomson Reuters
Key experience
We advised DS Smith, the leading provider of sustainable paper-based packaging worldwide, on the competing offers by International Paper and Mondi which led to an agreed acquisition by International Paper for £7.8 billion.
We advised Nationwide, the world’s largest building society, on its recommended acquisition of Virgin Money UK for £2.9 billion. The combined group is expected to have total assets of approximately £366.3 billion and total lending and advances of approximately £283.5 billion, representing the second largest provider of mortgages and savings in the UK.
We advised Vodafone on its entry into binding agreements with Three UK, in relation to a combination of their UK telecommunication businesses to create one of Europe’s most advanced 5G networks, in full support of UK Government targets.
We advised Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Chairman of INEOS, on the acquisition of up to 25% of the shares in Premier League football club, Manchester United. Sir Jim has also agreed to provide an additional $300 million to the club, intended to enable further investment into Old Trafford.
We advised Direct Line on its successful defence against a possible offer by Ageas. In its preliminary results on 21 March 2024, Direct Line Group set out its new strategy under the leadership of new CEO, Adam Winslow. On 22 March 2024, Ageas announced that it did not intend to make an offer for Direct Line Group.
We advised Aviva on the disposal of its shareholding in Singlife, together with two debt instruments, for total proceeds of £937m. This follows us advising Aviva on the sale of its majority Stake in Aviva Singapore to a consortium led by Singlife in 2020 for a total consideration of £1.6 billion.
No matter the nature or size of the transaction you're considering, our extensive experience means we’re well placed to provide sophisticated, high-quality advice on all types of deals.
Key Contacts
