Companies previously considered immune from activist campaigns have come under pressure, driving new public and private deal opportunities for private equity. By Richard Butterwick, Christopher Drewry, Tom Evans, Harald Selzner, David Walker, Ben Coleman, and Catherine Campbell US shareholder activists are an established presence in Europe. In 2018, activist campaigns targeted 160 European companies, according to Activist Insight. In … Continue Reading
Persisting political and economic uncertainty means awareness of market changes remains crucial. By Simon Baskerville, Tom Evans, David Walker, Stephanie Dellosa, and Catherine Campbell The 2008 distress cycle triggered defaults and restructurings for European PE portfolio companies, as maintenance covenant defaults and balance sheet deleveraging forced refinancings and debt-for-equity swaps. While restructuring conditions for PE firms are … Continue Reading
Cornerstone investments can assist a firm’s overall exit objective, particularly when there are bidders for a portfolio company but no outright buyer. By James Inness, Tom Evans, David Walker, Sonica Tolani, Connor Cahalane, and Catherine Campbell Cornerstone investments, which involve taking a stake in an about-to-list company, have been popular in Asia and in Nordic countries for … Continue Reading
With the explosion of AI applications, private equity houses and their portfolio companies must understand where key opportunities lie. By Tom Evans, Kem Ihenacho, David Walker, Laura Holden, Hector Sants, Claudia Sousa, Catherine Campbell, and Patricia Kelly Artificial intelligence (AI) developments provide increasing opportunities for private equity, including deal sourcing and portfolio company analysis/enhancement, particularly in businesses that can adopt … Continue Reading
Corporates should leverage growing carve-out and divestment activity across the European market with a strategic approach to deal making. By Robbie McLaren, Emily Cridland, and Catherine Campbell In the current deal market, corporates are taking an increasingly strategic and value-centred approach to planning carve-outs and divestments in order to maximise value. According to advisory firm … Continue Reading
We examine: increasing focus on non-controlling stakes, burdensome document production requests, heightened enforcement of gun jumping rules, examination of vertical deal overlaps, and ongoing political developments. By John Colahan, Peter Citron, Calum Warren, David Walker, Tom Evans, and Catherine Campbell In a continually evolving antitrust landscape, we consider five key trends that PE deal teams … Continue Reading
European regulators’ openness to PE investors is presenting attractive banking sector opportunities, but such opportunities require careful regulatory planning and local issue navigation. By Carl Fernandes, Hans-Jürgen Luett, David Walker, Tom Evans, and Catherine Campbell Ten years ago, a PE investment in a European bank would have been a rare occurrence. However, more recently, PE … Continue Reading
As litigation funders find new disputes markets, PE firms should consider litigation funding as a growth sector — and as a valuable tool for de-risking portfolio company claims. By Stuart Alford, Dan Smith, David Walker, Tom Evans, and Catherine Campbell Litigation funding, the third-party financing of legal costs in disputes, is increasingly common in the … Continue Reading
Regulatory guidance on cryptoassets and digital currency companies may lead to a legitimisation of crypto-businesses as an investable asset class. By Stuart Davis, Sam Maxson, David Walker, Tom Evans, and Catherine Campbell 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 … Continue Reading
By Catherine Drinnan and Shaun Thompson This year has seen a significant number of business failures, particularly on the high street, as businesses have struggled in the face of market fragility and Brexit uncertainty. When a UK portfolio company is underperforming, the presence of a defined benefit pension (DB) plan with a large deficit can … Continue Reading
Increased revenue, improved governance, and innovative financing in Serie A are drawing interest from overseas investors. By Giancarlo D’Ambrosio In the 1980s and 1990s, Italian football dominated the European football industry, achieving consistent success on the field and attracting a vast global audience. Italy’s top division, Serie A, is still among the best in the … Continue Reading
By Drew Levin. Maarten Overmars, Richard Butterwick, Terry Charalambous, and Catherine Campbell 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 edition of the Latham & Watkins Private M&A … Continue Reading
By Greg Bonné, Jonathan Parker, Richard Butterwick, Terry Charalambous, and Catherine Campbell 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 update their competition strategy accordingly. Corporates may not be able … Continue Reading
By Jonathan Parker, Jana Dammann, Steven Croley, Calum Warren, Richard Butterwick, Terry Charalambous, and Catherine Campbell 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 technology for supply in … Continue Reading
By Paul Davies, Richard Butterwick, Terry Charalambous, and Catherine Campbell In recent years, China has taken significant steps in developing its environmental policy. In 2014, China’s Premier Li Keqiang declared a “war on pollution”, which began in earnest in 2017. Since then, regulators have been more proactive in enforcing environmental regulations. Factory closures have become a … Continue Reading
By Catherine Drinnan, Shaun Thompson, Richard Butterwick, Terry Charalambous, and Catherine Campbell This year has seen a significant number of business failures, particularly on the high street, as businesses have struggled in the face of market fragility and Brexit uncertainty. When a UK company is underperforming, the presence of a defined benefit pension (DB) plan … Continue Reading
By Drew Levin, Maarten Overmars, and Catherine Campbell 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 edition of the Latham & Watkins Private M&A Market Study, which examined … Continue Reading
By Suneel Basson-Bhatoa, Alex McCarney, and Catherine Campbell Consortium (or “club”) deals involving PE firms have become a common feature of the deal market throughout 2018, with sponsors teaming up with each other or with strategic partners to buy large-cap assets. To the start of November 2018, 20 consortium transactions worth more than US$1 billion … Continue Reading
By Nicola Higgs, Fiona MacLean, Brett Carr, and Catherine Campbell Technology outsourcing by financial institutions (FIs) has increased in recent years as FIs look to the latest innovations to improve their day-to-day business processes and to reduce costs. FIs outsource key functions to a host of regulated and unregulated third-party service providers, and the sector is … Continue Reading
Shifting environment presents the chance to unearth value and should pave the way to boost the number of mid-market deals. By Manuel Deó The Spanish M&A market in 2018 has been characterised by a series of large-cap transactions, helped by an abundance of cheap financing for the right deals. The total deal value on large-cap … Continue Reading
Pressure to put dry powder to work will likely lead to bigger and bolder PE transactions in the year to come. By Manuel Deó Spanish private equity (PE) houses are sitting on large piles of dry powder as they scour the Spanish market for investment opportunities, as is the case in much of Europe. According … Continue Reading
Latham & Watkins’ 2018 survey of European private M&A transactions analyses the acquisition and equity documentation for more than 210 European deals signing or closing between July 2016 and June 2018. Key highlights include: The use of the locked box on UK deals has reduced slightly, although it continues to be the norm on deals … Continue Reading
By Simeon Rudin and Beatrice Lo Recent private equity investments in high-profile deals, such as Bain Capital’s acquisition of esure and Apollo’s acquisition of Aspen Insurance, have brought European insurance sector deal values to record highs. Regulatory changes and regulators’ changing perceptions of PE firms have contributed to increased M&A activity, bringing new opportunities for insurance business … Continue Reading
Deal making is likely to surge as companies seek funding and private equity firms scour the market for buyout opportunities. By Andrea Novarese and Cataldo Piccarreta Italy is poised to help steer automotive deal activity in the final weeks of what has been another bumper year for the industry. According to PwC, global automotive deals reached US$59.3 … Continue Reading
