Deal watch: Corporate activity in May 2016

SULLIVANS AND WACHTELL ADVISE ON $62m BAYER DEAL

Sullivan & Cromwell, Allen & Overy (A&O), and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz all won roles as healthcare and agriculture company Bayer placed a bid to acquire agricultural company Monsanto for $62bn in May. Sullivans and A&O are acting for Bayer on M&A and financing matters respectively, while Wachtell has taken the lead for US firm Monsanto.


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Revolving doors: DWF makes major corporate City hire as A&O and Stephenson Harwood make international appointments

DWF has appointed a new London head of corporate while Allen & Overy (A&O) and Stephenson Harwood have both made lateral hires to their international offices.

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Freshfields and Linklaters advise as competition issues threaten stock exchange merger

Börse/LSE tie-up raises regulatory concerns

As Europe’s two largest financial market operators, the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and Deutsche Börse, begin their third attempt at a tie-up, concerns have been raised over antitrust issues.

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The last word – Swoop to conquer

With the publication of our annual Global London report, leading figures at US law firms in the City weigh up a volatile market


COMPELLING ALTERNATIVES

‘Global corporates, wherever they are headquartered, are increasingly recognising that we provide the same depth and quality as the Magic Circle in London but also with a global platform that extends into the US. Outside of the US, it is comparable with the Magic Circle. When you put that proposal to a global corporate, then we can provide a compelling alternative as we can speak in English and American accents.’

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Comment: Shifting the Overton window – Panama Papers will change the consensus on tax (and boost corporate law firms)

The leak of 11.5 million documents from Panama law firm Mossack Fonseca has reheated a debate about tax and transparency that in truth hasn’t much cooled since the banking crisis. And from a narrow legal industry perspective, it will pile additional pressure on the offshore community. Continue reading “Comment: Shifting the Overton window – Panama Papers will change the consensus on tax (and boost corporate law firms)”

Allen & Overy and Wachtell take leads on Deutsche Börse spin-off

Magic Circle firm Allen & Overy (A&O) has taken a lead role acting for Deutsche Börse as it spins off its US options exchange operator International Securities Exchange, in a move which looks to aid the German stock exchange operator’s proposed merger with the London Stock Exchange (LSE).

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Corporate is king as Dejonghe and Ballheimer win vote to lead Allen & Overy until 2020

After a four-month election, Allen & Overy (A&O)’s C-suite for the next four years was revealed last month with corporate lawyers Wim Dejonghe and Andrew Ballheimer chosen as the new leaders.

Arguably the only Magic Circle firm to keep pace with US rivals over the last five years, A&O’s partnership opted for continuity as Dejonghe, who has been managing partner for the past eight years, was named senior partner. Co-head of corporate Ballheimer joined him as global managing partner, giving the management duo at A&O – which has traditionally included a partner from the firm’s signature banking group – a distinctly corporate look.

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