Law.com International’s Post

A really insightful morning thanks to EMW Law LLP - B Corp Certified This morning they hosted their housing conference which gave an insight into the latest market news and a planning update. These talks were then followed by a talk about the current housing crisis, more specifically social housing, and what plans are in place within the region and across the country to help tackle this crisis. Included in this talk was what the future is for s106 acquisitions. #planning #housing #residential #market #commercial

The Return of Megadeals: A Surge in 2024 M&A Activity The M&A landscape is experiencing a significant resurgence in 2024, highlighted by two landmark transactions that underscore the return of #megadeals: → Verizon announced its $20 billion acquisition of Frontier Internet. → Blackstone and Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board have agreed to acquire AirTrunk for $16.1 billion. These transactions illustrate a 70% year-over-year increase in megadeals (deals over $10 billion), with 20 such #deals totaling $363.4 billion in the first half of 2024. This marks the strongest first-half performance since 2022. In contrast, smaller deals under $500 million have decreased by 13% in value and 28% in volume. Key Insights: → Increased Demand for Top M&A Law Firms: Leading law firms including Debevoise & Plimpton, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, Weiss, Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates, and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP Thacher have played pivotal roles in these high-value transactions. → Megadeals' Impact: As June Dipchand from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates notes, these large deals not only drive M&A deal value but also refresh market perspectives on opportunities and transaction terms. → Market Dynamics: Despite the resurgence in megadeals, challenges such as geopolitical uncertainty and regulatory pressures persist. However, optimism remains as deal momentum continues, bolstered by potential interest rate cuts. Recent High-Profile Deals: → #VerizonVerizon's $20B acquisition of Frontier Communications was led by Debevoise & Plimpton and Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP. → #Blackstone's $16.1B purchase of #AirTrunk involved Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP. → Koch Ag & Energy Solutions, LLC acquired OCI Global’s fertilizer plant for $3.6 billion. → Turn/River Capital is selling Redwood Software to Vista Equity Partners and Warburg Pincus LLC. The market also saw seven M&A deals over $1 billion, three #IPOs, and nine new debt offerings in the past week, with no new #SPACs or SPAC mergers. While deals under $500M are declining, the megadeal surge is reigniting market optimism, supported by potential interest rate cuts and strong deal momentum despite ongoing geopolitical and regulatory headwinds. The coming months could further cement 2024 as a standout year for M&A, especially for those firms able to navigate the complexity and size of these transactions. https://lnkd.in/eAHuBSGN #MergersAndAcquisitions #Megadeals #LegalIndustry #DealMaking #Finance #MALaw #BusinessTrends

CDR's weekly summary of disputes people and firms news includes shareholder, financial services and real estate litigators, European firm mergers and a new office in the US. Senior reporter Robert Li reports. UK developments encompass Squire Patton Boggs in Manchester, and the London offices of Faegre Drinker, Case Pilots , BCLP, 1EC Barristers and Keating Chambers. In Europe, IP-focused Belgian firms Gevers and CAPE IP are to merge, while Berkeley Research Group (BRG) has bolstered its Italian capabilities. Across the Atlantic, O'Melveny & Myers LLP, Goodwin, WilmerHale and Dechert LLP have made new hires on the East Coast, as has Buchalter on the West Coast alongside its Chicago office opening, with the Windy City offices of Honigman LLP and HKA also welcoming new high-profile arrivals. https://lnkd.in/eT7WSkZN

Irwin Mitchell Breaks £300M Mark as DWF Builds on Private Equity Takeover with 14% Hike Read more here: https://hubs.la/Q02LpLG70 The legal industry continues to experience dynamic shifts, and two major players are making headlines with their impressive financial milestones. Irwin Mitchell has surpassed the £300 million revenue mark, a remarkable achievement that reflects the firm’s strategic growth and commitment to delivering exceptional legal services across various sectors. This milestone places Irwin Mitchell among the top earners in the legal market, highlighting its successful navigation of a competitive and evolving landscape. Meanwhile, DWF is making waves of its own, reporting a 14% revenue increase following its private equity takeover. This significant growth underscores DWF’s ambition to leverage new investment to fuel expansion, enhance service offerings, and strengthen its position both in the UK and internationally. The private equity backing has enabled DWF to accelerate its strategic goals, bringing a fresh perspective to the firm’s operations and future outlook. Key Highlights: Irwin Mitchell’s Achievement: Breaking the £300 million revenue barrier is a testament to Irwin Mitchell’s robust business model, client-focused approach, and ability to adapt to changing market conditions. The firm’s diverse service offerings and strong leadership have positioned it well for sustained growth. DWF’s Expansion: The 14% revenue hike following the private equity takeover indicates a positive trajectory for DWF, demonstrating the potential of private equity in transforming and scaling legal businesses. DWF’s growth strategy includes expanding its global footprint, investing in technology, and exploring new markets. These developments raise important questions about the future of the legal industry, particularly in terms of how firms can effectively scale while maintaining the quality and integrity of their services. The role of private equity in driving growth and innovation within law firms is also a key area of interest, with potential implications for how the sector evolves. With Irwin Mitchell breaking the £300 million revenue mark and DWF showing significant growth post-private equity takeover, do you think we’ll see more law firms turning to private equity as a means to scale and innovate? For further information on the above or insights into the legal industry, please schedule a free, no-obligation demo: https://hubs.la/Q02LpJ1c0 ATLAS by Codex Edge Enabling Smarter Decisions with Data-Driven Intelligence #LegalIndustry #LawFirmGrowth #PrivateEquity #RevenueMilestones #LegalInnovation #IrwinMitchell #DWF #LegalBusiness #LawFirmStrategy #LegalNews #BusinessGrowth #LegalSector #LawFirmSuccess #LegalFinance #IndustryTrends #FutureOfLaw

We are delighted to share with you a recent interview with Patrick Sarch, Partner and Head of UK Public M&A, White & Case LLP who will be speaking at our M&A Summit which is taking place at 22 Duchess Mews – Cavendish Venues, on 21 October. Patrick will be addressing techniques for securing successful deal execution, particularly in relation to “too close to call” deals. Themes to be covered include: ➡️ The increase in merger arbs entering the market in recent years, buying into companies under offer to benefit from any increase in share price ➡️ The increase in activist investors generally – for many deals the margins are very close to the 75% approval needed. This creates an added level of complexity for bidders dealing with the unknown (and the target if they are hoping to defeat the bid) ➡️ Taking public companies private. Last year public equity represented 70% of offers, earlier this year more than half were strategic buyers. As interest rates have fallen, PE is picking up again ➡️ Sovereign wealth funds and big pension funds from abroad are also keen to take public companies private and majority shareholders are increasingly buying out minorities ➡️ There is some optimism that there will be an increase in IPOs in the coming months as part of the ebb and flow of public and private markets FDI and national security screening have proliferated globally in recent years for geopolitical reasons. Deals involving natural resources and tech are strategically important targets. However, very few deals have actually been blocked. Watch the full interview: https://lnkd.in/eEJquKHJ Book your place today to find out more on these and other key issues including: 💥 The M&A outlook for the next 12 months: key drivers and deal trends, including cross-border activity, the energy transition and the role of private equity 💥 Developments in the application of the Takeover Code 💥 The potential impact of “carried interest” reform on the sale of portfolio companies by PE firms 💥 The use of private credit as an alternative, or complementary, financing option ✨ Sponsored by Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP and White & Case LLP✨ #MergersandAcquisitions #PrivateEquity #Deals

Earlier this week, the UK Takeover Panel published a new framework for ‘private sale processes’. This regime will be of interest to PE investors who may be considering potential P2P acquisitions after receiving initial soundings from management teams. I thought I'd share a few takeaways about how the new process will work, and how it fits alongside the existing public sale processes under the Takeover Code: 1) A company can initiate private talks with multiple potential buyers; 2) Those talks can remain private, but if there is speculation that the company is seeking a buyer it will need to announce that fact; 3) Any such announcement will start an offer period, but there will no longer be a requirement automatically to name all parties in talks with the company or to impose a put up or shut up deadline (subject to the next point). This is the main change and is designed to help companies and potential bidders to explore deals privately. Companies will be able to agree this treatment in advance with the Panel and tell potential bidders of this at the outset of talks; 4) However, if there is speculation which refers specifically to a potential bidder, that bidder will still need to be named in the announcement and a PUSU deadline will be set for that bidder. However the target will be allowed to announce a “formal sale process” in the event the process becomes public in which case no PUSU will be imposed on any named bidder; 5) There will still be a risk of being named if speculation refers specifically to a particular investor, so the usual steps to protect secrecy will be important. #PrivateEquity #PrivateCapital

MarshBerry is confident about wealth advisory M&A activity throughout the rest of the year (despite a slower August). What’s driving this positive outlook? Find out in my colleague John Orsini's blog post on Today’s ViewPoint, including the latest numbers on transactions, buyers, and deal highlights. Kim Kovalski Rob Madore Brandon Helms #MarshBerry #WealthAdvisor #RIA #PrivateEquity #MergersandAcquisitions https://lnkd.in/gjcs_aj8

Something to think about with your morning coffee ☕ Two out of every five major US mergers and acquisitions in 2022 involved private equity investors, a percentage that has steadily grown over the past two decades. When the Justice Department opened a sweeping probe in 2022 into people and entities that have overlapping board seats in competing companies. It lead to resignations at more than a dozen companies including individuals associated with private equity firm Thoma Bravo LLC, and includes scrutiny of major investors including Blackstone Inc., Apollo Global Management Inc. and KKR & Co. Again, as I have been commenting, my concerns on Private Equity increased ownership of multi family apartment complexes. With an outlook of a PE 5-7 year investment turnaround, rents are being increased, services reduced and new apartment developments are building smaller units to increase units in the development footprint to maximize revenue and property valuation... thoughts? #multifamily #privateequity #apartments

We continue to see strong momentum in RIA M&A activity, reflecting a transformative period of consolidation and growth. As market dynamics evolve and competitive pressures rise, RIAs are increasingly turning to M&A as a strategic pathway to scale, enhance operational efficiency, and meet the growing demands of an aging client base. Private equity-backed firms, larger consolidators, and strategic buyers are capitalizing on favorable market conditions, creating a thriving M&A environment.