International law firm Pinsent Masons has advised the UK subsidiary of South Africa’s IMPERIAL Holdings on its purchase of East-Anglian truck powerhouse, Orwell Truck & Van.
IMPERIAL, which is listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange and employs more than 46,000 people worldwide, is the owner of one of the UK’s largest independent commercial vehicle dealer groups.
The second largest French call centre has invested in Great Britain, by purchasing the English subsidiary HEROtsc from the Indian HERO group. One-third of the acquisition was financed by capital increases and the remainder by bank financing. As a result, Webhelp, set up in June 2000, continues to grow rapidly, with its workforce increasing from 10,500 to 16,500 employees and its call centres in continental Europe and Africa increasing from 24 to 33, including the addition of sites in Scotland, England and in India.
International law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is advising BMG Rights Management, the music rights management group, in relation to the acquisitions of Sanctuary Records and Mute Records from Universal Music Group.
These acquisitions result from the European Commission's order for Universal Music to dispose of assets following its purchase of EMI Recorded Music. Completion is subject to regulatory clearances.
Linklaters is advising Japanese financial services firm ORIX Corporation on its €1.935bn acquisition of Dutch asset manager Robeco Groep N.V. from Rabobank. The deal is ORIX’s most significant strategic acquisition to date, as well as the largest Japanese outbound deal of the year to date.
Slaughter and May is advising Regus plc ('Regus'), the world's largest provider of flexible workspaces, on an increased cash offer, by its wholly-owned subsidiary, to acquire MWB Business Exchange Plc ('Business Exchange'). The increased offer values the entire issued share capital of Business Exchange at approximately £65.625 million.
The increased offer, which was announced on 19 February 2013, is in response to a competing offer by Pyrrho Investments Limited for shares of Business Exchange that it does not currently own.
Olswang has advised long-standing client Warner Music Group Corp. (WMG), an Access Industries company, on its acquisition of Parlophone Label Group from Universal Music Group, a subsidiary of Vivendi, for £487 million (around $765 million) in an all-cash transaction.
Herbert Smith Freehills has advised Aberdeen Asset Management PLC on its acquisition of a 50.1% stake in SVG Advisors, a subsidiary of SVG Capital plc. This business will be combined with Aberdeen's existing private equity capabilities to create a substantial private equity fund of fund business. The transaction forms part of Aberdeen's strategy to acquire smaller businesses to enhance and accelerate the Group's own organic growth. Following the acquisition, Aberdeen's private equity fund of fund business will have almost £5 billion in assets under management.
International law firm Taylor Wessing has advised HL Legal Solicitors on the purchase of the business and assets of Cobbetts' debt recovery business, Incasso, from administrators KPMG.
The Taylor Wessing team was led by corporate partner Tom Cartwright and supported by Edward Story (Corporate), Malti Shah (Restructuring and Corporate Recovery), Vikki Wiberg (Employment), Christopher Jeffery (Technology) and Suzanne Tyrell (Employment)
A Travers Smith team led by Paris head, David Patient, has advised Sogeval, the leading French veterinary drug company, on its acquisition of Alstoe Animal Health, the independent UK supplier of animal healthcare products, for an undisclosed sum.
The acquisition of Alstoe Animal Health allows Sogeval to continue its international growth strategy in the UK market. The deal completed on 29 January.
Teams from Squire Sanders and DC Advisory have advised Houston-based, Cardtronics, Inc., on its takeover offer for AIM listed, i-design group plc, which was announced to the markets on 13 February.
Cardtronics, listed on NASDAQ with a market capitalisation of $1.2 billion is the world leading provider of Automated Teller Machines (“ATMs”). i-design is a leading provider and developer of marketing and advertising software and service for ATM owners.