Cross-Border M&A

Subscribe to Cross-Border M&A via RSS

In Varjabedian v. Emulex, the Ninth Circuit recently held that plaintiffs bringing claims under Section 14(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”)—which prohibits misstatements, omissions or fraudulent conduct in connection with a tender offer—need only show that defendants acted negligently, rather than with scienter.

This decision marks a conspicuous divergence from…

Lenders’ freedom to transfer their participations in large leveraged loans has been gradually eroded by developments introduced through the last few credit cycles.

This market wrap covers the development of the transferability clause from the early 2000s through to post-crisis developments.

If you have any questions concerning this memorandum, please feel free to contact the…

The German M&A market started off with a bang in the new year. RWE and E.ON are set to swap a large part of their businesses, with E.ON now planning to concentrate on grid and energy sales, and RWE on energy generation. The complex transaction has a reported total volume of around EUR 43 bn…

On March 15, 2018, the UK Government published new merger thresholds to allow greater intervention in transactions raising national security concerns. The new thresholds will apply to firms that develop or produce items for military use, computer hardware, or quantum technology. The Government will be able to intervene in mergers in these sectors where the…

Disclosure of Ultimate Beneficial Ownership in German Companies

Key Takeaways

  • Germany recently introduced new rules on the disclosure of the ultimate beneficial owner(s) of German companies. The rules are based on the 4th EU-Money-Laundering Directive (EU) 2015/849).
  • The rules are not only relevant for German entities and German shareholders, but also for foreign groups or organizations (including private equity groups) that have or intend to acquire holdings in German entities.
  • Recent experience indicates that not all foreign players eying German M&A targets or holding significant interests in German targets are aware of these rules.
  • If your group or organization
    • has or intends to acquire a direct or indirect holding of more than 25% of the capital or the voting rights of a German entity or otherwise controls such entity, and
    • is beneficially owned or controlled by one or more natural persons,

disclosure obligations with respect to the ultimate beneficial owners may apply and should be assessed.
Continue Reading The German Transparency Register

The German M&A market has remained robust in 2017.  While the number of transactions has fallen, transaction volumes remain significant.  Testament to this were the agreed merger of Siemens’ rail operations with Alstom, the acquisition of Bayer’s seeds and herbicides business by BASF, the Stada takeover, General Motors’ sale of Opel to PSA or the…

In a recently published decision of November 7, 2017, the German Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof) has added another twist to the much debated acquisition of German Celesio AG by US pharma wholesaler McKesson.  McKesson had launched a takeover offer to the free float of Celesio in late 2013, and had entered into a purchase agreement with its then main shareholder Franz Haniel & Cie. to acquire its shareholding of slightly above 50% alongside the takeover bid.  The transaction attracted the interest of Paul Singer.  Elliott acquired a position of approximately 24% in shares and, in addition, convertible bonds of Celesio, and opposed the initial offer due to an alleged undervaluation.  As a result, the initial offer, which was subject to a minimum acceptance threshold of 75%, failed in early January 2014. The 75% acceptance threshold is key under German law, for a bidder to be in a position to exercise control over a German listed corporation and access the cash flows, prior to having effected a squeeze-out of all remaining minorities.
Continue Reading Treating Shareholders Equally – Another Chapter in the McKesson/Celesio Saga

On 19 September 2017, the UK Takeover Panel published Panel Consultation Paper 2017/2 (the PCP), which proposed amendments to the rules of the UK Takeover Code relating to statements of intention and related matters. On 11 December 2017, the Panel published Response Statement 2017/2 (the RS) having received responses to the PCP from 13 respondents,…

The German M&A market has fared well over the summer. The Bain/Cinven consortium successfully closed its takeover bid for Stada at the second attempt. Linde shareholders can now accept the exchange offer to merge with Praxair and the Hong Kong-based CK Group wins out in the bidding for smart-metering specialist ista. Toward the end of…