CMA launches antitrust probe into Hollywood’s mega merger June 9, 2026 The UK’s competition watchdog has launched a formal merger enquiry into Paramount Skydance’s anticipated $110bn (£86bn) acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, escalating the regulatory hurdles facing a deal that has already triggered a fierce, multi-front corporate war over Hollywood jobs and executive payouts. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced Tuesday it has commenced its [...]
Jamie Dimon opens door to a $20bn JP Morgan takeover May 28, 2026 Jamie Dimon has kicked the door open to the prospect of JP Morgan completing a major takeover that would shake-up the global banking landscape. The Wall Street boss raised the idea of the bank spending as much as $20bn (£15bn) as it looks to capitalise on the freed up capital from deregulation reforms. “I do [...]
Estée Lauder and Charlotte Tilbury owner walk away from merger talks May 22, 2026 Cosmetics giant Estée Lauder has abandoned talks with the Spanish owner of Charlotte Tilbury over a merger which would have created a $40bn fashion powerhouse. Talks between the US cosmetics giant and Spanish beauty giant Puig ended on Thursday despite hopes that the merger could have helped both brands to compete with rival L’Oreal. Estée [...]
Glencore shares slide after Rio Tinto merger unravels February 5, 2026 Shares in Glencore tumbled on Thursday after talks over a blockbuster merger between the firm and rival Rio Tinto came to nothing. The London-listed mining giant said it was unhappy with the terms of Rio’s takeover offer, which included Rio keeping hold of top executive roles within the proposed combined business. “The key terms of [...]
No retail redundancies after Vodafone-Three merger, boss says ahead of shop closures February 5, 2026 There will be no forced redundancies of retail staff following Vodafone’s acquisition of Three, the firm’s chief executive has said, as the telco giant gears up to find hundreds of millions of pounds of cost savings from the tie-up. Vodafone chief executive Margherita Della Valle, who spearheaded the bumper £16.5bn merger shortly after taking the [...]
Zurich to acquire Beazley in landmark £8bn specialty insurance merger February 4, 2026 Following two previous rejections last month, Lloyd’s of London underwriter Beazley has confirmed in a joint statement on Wednesday morning that it has reached an agreement in principle with Zurich. The offer proposed by Zurich has a total value of 1,335 pence per share. This is composed of a 1,310p cash payment from Zurich and [...]
CVC-backed Teneo establishes New Zealand footprint via PwC deal January 13, 2026 Advisory firm Teneo is to acquire PwC New Zealand’s business restructuring services unit as part of its Asia-Pacific expansion strategy. The deal, which is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close at the end of February 2026, will see 22 members of PwC New Zealand’s business restructuring services team join Teneo. This [...]
The year in law: Scale, survival, and the surge of the transatlantic titans December 23, 2025 From the birth of new transatlantic titans to a government-led rescue of the litigation funding market, 2025 has seen the City’s legal landscape rewritten by a relentless pursuit of scale and a newfound reliance on the machine. The legal sector started the year with US President Donald Trump attacking the industry, as Trump vs Big [...]
Blockbuster FTSE merger abandoned after shareholder fury December 1, 2025 A plan to merge two FTSE-listed funds to form the UK’s largest infrastructure investment firm has been abandoned after shareholders expressed frustration with the terms of the deal. HICL Infrastructure said it will no longer be proceeding with its planned merger with The Renewables Infrastructure Group (TRIG) after its board “determined that it cannot progress [...]
Yet another Transatlantic tie-up: Ashurst and Perkins Coie announce $2.7bn merger November 17, 2025 UK law firm Ashurst has agreed to merge with the US law firm Perkins Coie, the latest move in a series of large transatlantic tie-ups in the legal sector. After a week of speculation about Ashurst being in merger talks, the firm agreed a deal with Settle-based Perkins Coie to become a $2.7bn law firm, [...]