Global law firm Freshfields has comprehensively advised Vienna Insurance Group AG on the signing of a business combination agreement with NÜRNBERGER Beteiligungs-AG.  

Global law firm Freshfields is advising Merck KGaA on its agreement to acquire the chromatography business of JSR Life Sciences. The transaction was announced on October 15, 2025 and is expected to close by the end of the second quarter of 2026.

Global law firm Freshfields has comprehensively advised Ottobock SE & Co. KGaA on its initial public offering. Yesterday, Ottobock shares were listed and traded for the first time on the regulated market of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The offer price was set at €66 per share. At the time of initial listing, the company’s market capitalization amounted to approximately €4.6bn.

Global law firm Freshfields has advised an international banking consortium on the financing of the Power4Steel project, a major green transformation initiative by German steel producer SHS -Stahl-Holding-Saar Group (SHS Group) and one of Europe's largest decarbonisation projects...

Global law firm Freshfields advises listed technology group Continental AG on corporate and capital markets law matters in connection with the spin-off of its Automotive and Contract Manufacturing business units into AUMOVIO SE and the listing of all AUMOVIO SE shares on the stock exchange. Under the terms of the spin-off, Continental shareholders will receive one AUMOVIO SE share for every two Continental shares held.

Global law firm Freshfields is advising SDAX-listed ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE ("ProSiebenSat.1") on the public takeover offer by Italian media group MFE-MEDIAFOREUROPE N.V. ("MFE") and on the public acquisition offer in the form of a partial offer by PPF IM LTD ("PPF"), an indirect subsidiary of Czech investment group PPF Group N.V.

Global law firm Freshfields has advised SMS group, a global leading technology and services provider in metals plant engineering, on the acquisition of an agglomeration and calcination technologies business from the listed Finnish technology company Metso.

Global law firm Freshfields has advised RWE on the conclusion of three sustainability-linked revolving credit facility agreements in an aggregate amount of €10 billion. The facilities are provided by international banking syndicates and have a tenor between three and five years (with extension options up to five and seven years, respectively).

Global law firm Freshfields has advised the Italian technology company Bending Spoons S.p.A. on its acquisition of komoot GmbH, a German tech platform specialising in outdoor and routing activities. With over 45 million users worldwide, especially in Europe, komoot is particularly popular among hikers, cyclists and trail runners.

Global law firm Freshfields has advised AXA IM Alts, a global leader in alternative investments, on the acquisition of a majority stake in ILOS Projects GmbH (‘ILOS’) from Omnes Capital and founder-led ILOS New Energy. Closing of the transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals.

DOT Europe, the leading voice for online services in Europe, and global law firm Freshfields today present a legal study on streamlining the EU’s digital regulatory framework. As Europe sharpens its focus on competitiveness, the report outlines opportunities to refine and optimise the EU’s digital rulebook and strengthen the Digital Single Market.

Global law firm Freshfields has advised global private equity firm Permira on the sale of its remaining minority interest in a leading DACH provider of cloud-based HR software solutions Personal & Informatik AG (P&I) to co-shareholder Hg. The transaction marks Permira’s full exit from P&I. The deal values the business at around €5.5bn.

Global law firm Freshfields today announces the appointment of James Barnett as Global Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective June 2025.