Corporate transactions

We have a market leading international reputation for M&A work, particularly for high-value cross border transactions, acting for both corporate and private equity clients.

Joint ventures (and corporate restructurings) also form an integral part of our work. We advise on entering into, incorporating, restructuring and terminating joint ventures, as well as the ramifications of the range of issues faced in chemicals projects.

We are also widely recognised as a leader in international equity offerings, with experience of advising on listing transactions from all sides.

Some examples of our advice on chemical issues:

  • Astrazeneca on the $18m demerger of its agrochemicals business and the demerger of Novartis' agrochemicals business and the merger and listing of both businesses to form Syngenta;
  • Bayer on the €7.25bn acquisition of Aventis CropScience, from Aventis and Schering and subsequent divestments of parts of the business such as the auction sale of the Fipronil package consisting of certain insecticides and fungicides to BASF for €1.33bn;
  • Bayer and Degussa on the €235m sales of their join venture Polymer Latex to Soros Private Equity Partners;
  • Degussa on the reorganisation and sale of its metallurgical business to three buyers: Stollberg Group to S&B Industrial Minerals; the global foundry supply business to Sud-Chemie; and SKW Metallurgie to Arques Industries;
  • Dow Chemical on its merger with Union Carbide;
  • Fox Paine on the acquisition of part of AstraZenecas seed business, Advanta;
  • ICI on the $440m sale of its food ingredients business, Quest International, to Kerry Group;
  • Ineos on the £325m acquisition of the Chlor-Chem, Klea and Crosfield businesses of ICI; the acquisition of Dows ethanolamines and Gas-Spec businesses and on the acquisition of the Phenolchemie subsidiary of Degussa for €422m;
  • Permira on the acquisition, by a consortium (of which Goldman Sachs was a member), of Henkels worldwide speciality chemical business, Cognis, from Henkel;
  • SC Johnson on the Asian aspects of its €725m global acquisition of Bayers mosquito coils and insecticides business; and
  • Solvay on the combination of its worldwide high-density polyethylene business with BP's through a joint venture and the subsequent transfer of Solvay's interest in the venture to BP.

News

Freshfields advises BASF on proposed takeover bid for Ciba View

Briefings

Carbon Crush: ICIS Chemical Business 14-20 July 2008  View

REACH: what the EU’s new chemical reforms mean for consumer products companies  View

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