Legal Business

Deal watch: Corporate activity in February 2015

SKADDEN, FRESHFIELDS AND SLAUGHTERS LAND KEY ROLES ON £4.3BN CAN MAKER TIE-UP

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom advised Ball Corporation on its £4.3bn acquisition of UK-based Rexam, while Slaughter and May covered EU competition aspects. Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer advised Rexam, which boasts Coca-Cola, Red Bull and Heineken among its clients, on the deal.

 

HSF WINS FIRST ACQUISITION-SIDE M&A MANDATE FROM MAN GROUP

Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) won a key role advising Man Group on its acquisition of Mayfair-based NewSmith – its first acquisition-side M&A deal for the world’s largest hedge fund. Travers Smith advised NewSmith’s founding partners, while Linklaters represented Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, which owns a 40% share of the UK asset manager.

 

EIGHT FIRMS SECURE SPOTS ON FSCS PANEL

The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) awarded eight firms places on its newly created legal panel. The roster has separate lists for core legal services, Scottish legal services, employment and low-value disputes. Bevan Brittan, Burges Salmon, Dentons, Slaughter and May, Herbert Smith Freehills, King & Wood Mallesons and Trowers & Hamlins all won core legal service spots while Burness Paull won a seat on the Scottish panel.

 

FRESHFIELDS, A&O AND TRAVERS ACT AS ASIA’S RICHEST MAN INVESTS IN THE UK

A cross-border team at Allen & Overy (A&O) acted for Li Ka-shing as he bought Eversholt Rail through two investment vehicles. Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer acted for the owners – a consortium comprising 3i Group, Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners and STAR Capital Partners – of Eversholt, which has an enterprise value of £2.5bn. Travers Smith acted for the management.