Merger Control

Takeda: advising on the £46bn acquisition of Shire. We coordinated merger control filings in more than 15 jurisdictions, including the EU, the US and China

Bayer AG: advising Bayer AG as lead global antitrust counsel on the sale of its worldwide animal health business to Elanco Animal Health to create the world’s second largest animal health company. The transaction gives rise to merger filings in 14 jurisdictions, including the EU, US, China, Brazil, South Africa, and Australia

Nestlé: advising on the CHF10.2bn sale of its skin health business to a consortium led by EQT and Adia involving merger control notifications in 15 jurisdictions

Jingye Group: advising leading Chinese steelmaker, Jingye Group, on the merger control, foreign investment and state aid implications of its agreement to acquire the business and certain assets of British Steel. Merger control filings were required and clearances successfully obtained in Turkey and Poland

Energizer Holdings, Inc: advised worldwide battery manufacturer Energizer Holdings Inc. and represented them before the European Commission with respect to their USD 2bn acquisition of Spectrum Brands Holdings’ Global Battery and Portable Lighting Business, and, in particular (i) the procedure before the European Commission further to a request for referral from Austria, Germany, Poland, Romania and Spain; including the negotiations of the remedies and (ii) the subsequent sale of the Divestment Business to Varta AG

GrandVision: representing GrandVision in its USD 8bn acquisition by EssilorLuxottica. The case has triggered Phase II reviews in the US, Europe and multiple countries in South America and Asia

QIAGEN N.V: advising on the planned takeover by US technology group Thermo Fisher Scientific. The transaction requires regulatory filings in several jurisdictions, including (among others) the EU, the US and China

Linde: Advising as lead strategic counsel on the global antitrust aspects of its $90 billion merger of equals with Praxair Inc. to create the world's largest industrial gas company. The cross-border team handled filings in 24 jurisdictions, including the US, EU and China

E.ON: advising on all competition aspects of E.ON’s and RWE Aktiengesellschaft’s far-reaching asset swap including E.ON acquiring a 76.8% stake in Innogy SE. The transaction included filings with the European Commission and national European authorities as well as the U.S. authorities

Vodafone: advising Vodafone on the competition law aspects of the proposed agreements with Telecom Italia in Italy