Mergers and acquisitions lawyers

We acted for Lupin in relation to its acquisition of the minority shareholding in a pharmaceutical company in Australia.

We acted for Ladbrokes in relation to its acquisition of the bookmaker.com on-line gaming business in Australia.

We represented a brand consultancy group in the acquisition of a majority stake in the Hong Kong subsidiary of an independent British brand and customer experience design consultancy agency.

We advised on the acquisition of a Malaysian company with ownership of a well-known major hotel in Malaysia by a BVI registered investment holding company for RM120 million.

We advised a PRC-based, Hong Kong-listed fashion group in its acquisition of a Shenzhen apparel business and proposed joint venture with an Italian fashion group.

Advised a PRC insurance and finance group in its acquisition of a licensed bank in Hong Kong.

Advised a foreign insurance company in its proposed CNY200 million acquisition of a minority stake in a Chinese P&C insurance company.

Advised an Asian sovereignty fund in its proposed acquisition of a state-owned PRC property development company through open bidding at an equity exchange.

Withers acted for a Chinese leasing company in the sale and leaseback of 139,941 containers by a Chinese marine shipping company. The acquisition was financed by a USD$233 million loan facility from a German bank and a Chinese bank in Singapore.

We advised Hitachi Chemical, in its investment in Ito Group Holdings, a Singapore limited exempt private company and its US, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Indian and European subsidiaries. The acquisition is part of the company's expansion efforts to capture demand from emerging countries and other target markets for its products which range from functional materials to advanced components and systems and have applications in the automotive, energy storage, electronics and diagnostics industries. Hitachi Chemicals is a division of Hitachi Ltd, the highly diversified Japanese multi-national conglomerate listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Advised an Italian company in its acquisition of the U.S. subsidiary of a U.K. company in the pharmaceutical industry.

We advised a PRC-based, Hong Kong-listed fashion group in its acquisition of a Shenzhen apparel business and proposed joint venture with an Italian fashion group.

We represented a US based graphite material science company in the sale of its majority stake in a French joint venture to the minority partner.

Hightex Group is a UK, Swiss and German membrane and renewable energy company. Withers has acted for Hightex Group on their IPO on the AIM market. We have also advised Hightex Group on their reverse takeover of West 175 Media Group Inc., the acquisition of HighTex International (HTI) AG, and on the acquisition of SolarNext AG, a German company active in the solar and alternative energy sectors.

We advised Targetti Sankey SpA in a €242 million syndicated loan to assist in the acquisition of the Danish lighting company Louis Poulsen Lighting A/S.

We advised Hitachi Chemical, in its investment in Ito Group Holdings, a Singapore limited exempt private company and its US, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Indian and European subsidiaries. The acquisition is part of the company's expansion efforts to capture demand from emerging countries and other target markets for its products which range from functional materials to advanced components and systems and have applications in the automotive, energy storage, electronics and diagnostics industries. Hitachi Chemicals is a division of Hitachi Ltd, the highly diversified Japanese multi-national conglomerate listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

We advised Syracuse University (USA) on its London Program which involved the acquisition of premises for use for educational purposes; employment advice in relation to urgent dismissal for gross misconduct; governance arrangements, including appointment of an interim director and new trustees; conflicts of interest in connection with the Programme's relationship with the University; advice and assistance in relation to sub-licenses for occupation of premises by other educational organisations, including in relation to real estate matters and tax treatment of revenues. The work represents a mature study abroad programme operating in the UK and in Europe, raising a variety of operational issues.

Candy Crush Saga was one of the major global success stories of the free-to-play mobile device games, with more than 93 million players worldwide. We are proud to have acted for the founders of the company that owned it, King.com, in the high-profile sale of their business to Activision Blizzard for US$5.9 billion, achieving a very satisfactory outcome for our clients.

In partnership with Newlat, a leading Italian food producer, we advised on the acquisition of Kraft Heinz’s Italian infant food and nutraceuticals production plant. The Parma plant owned by US food giant Kraft Heinz, produces the well-known Plasmon biscuits as well as pasta, liquid milk, dry milk and cereals, among other products. The deal included an arrangement for Newlat to manufacture infant milks and nutrition products including Kraft Heinz owned products. The Newlat Group is one of the top ten players in the Italian food sector, with a turnover exceeding US$355 million. Its business is focused on milk and wheat-based products, with an existing base of 11 production plants.

We advised Renault on its €1.5 billion investment in motorsport and technology. This was a multi-jurisdictional and multi-party project involving Mr Bernie Ecclestone, CVC, FIA, key sponsors of Lotus, incoming and outgoing drivers of Lotus F1 as well as outgoing minority shareholders.

Increasingly, we are called upon to represent corporate clients in international arbitration. For example we acted at the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) on behalf of a subsidiary of an Azerbaijani company that was in dispute with a conglomerate of Israeli companies over a joint venture agreement. The case related to a license to drill oil just off the coast of Israel.

Advised an Italian company in its acquisition of the U.S. subsidiary of a U.K. company in the pharmaceutical industry.

Advised in the acquisition of and merger into a biotech/healthcare company based in North Carolina.

Advised, as lead investor counsel, in a reorganization, US$1 million bridge loan, and US$7 million strategic investment by a leading pharmaceutical company in a biotech/medical company based in California.

We represented a US based graphite material science company in the sale of its majority stake in a French joint venture to the minority partner.

We advised Hitachi Chemical, in its investment in Ito Group Holdings, a Singapore limited exempt private company and its US, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Indian and European subsidiaries. The acquisition is part of the company's expansion efforts to capture demand from emerging countries and other target markets for its products which range from functional materials to advanced components and systems and have applications in the automotive, energy storage, electronics and diagnostics industries. Hitachi Chemicals is a division of Hitachi Ltd, the highly diversified Japanese multi-national conglomerate listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

We advised Syracuse University (USA) on its London Program which involved the acquisition of premises for use for educational purposes; employment advice in relation to urgent dismissal for gross misconduct; governance arrangements, including appointment of an interim director and new trustees; conflicts of interest in connection with the Programme's relationship with the University; advice and assistance in relation to sub-licenses for occupation of premises by other educational organisations, including in relation to real estate matters and tax treatment of revenues. The work represents a mature study abroad programme operating in the UK and in Europe, raising a variety of operational issues.

We advised TASI Holdings on the acquisition of business in a US tech company that produces long-range wireless sensor networks, used primarily in the oil and gas industry. This is TASI's fifth acquisition since 2011. TASI provides advanced test and inspection instrumentation & systems, flowmeters and flow control products, measurement instrumentation and automated assembly and test systems around the globe in a variety of sectors including: automotive, life science, oil & gas and food & beverage.

We used our experience of working with entrepreneurs to help the founders of a food business providing goods to UK high-street retailers as they sold their company. Our lawyers assisted with the commercial aspects of the sale to a private equity firm, handling complex UK remittance tax issues and US tax issues. We were also involved in our clients’ reinvestment in a new holding company.

At Withers we like a challenge, so it is always pleasing to be presented with complex cases such as a reverse triangular merger on which we were instructed by a client that held extensive real estate in New York City and Long Island. Our client wished to transfer stock in the merger, and requested advice on shareholder liability as well as the state and city real estate taxes.

This well-known, publicly held brand has more than 1,200 retail outlets throughout the US. We negotiated a new package (valued in excess of $2 million annually) on behalf of the incoming chief executive.

We acted on behalf of the holding company and shareholders behind one of the largest conglomerates of heavy industrial companies in Russia. The company was in dispute with a bank over the basis of a loan the bank had given it. The complex legal proceedings included an LCIA arbitration in London, anti-suit injunctions and injunctions in the Netherlands.

Increasingly, we are called upon to represent corporate clients in international arbitration. For example we acted at the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) on behalf of a subsidiary of an Azerbaijani company that was in dispute with a conglomerate of Israeli companies over a joint venture agreement. The case related to a license to drill oil just off the coast of Israel.