Industrial Products and Services
We have a long history of advising a broad range of leading international industrial companies including chemical, building materials, metals and diversified industrial products and services companies.
Our multi-specialist approach means that we have developed an in-depth understanding of the commercial and legal issues that industrial companies face. Much of our work in this sector has an international dimension and we work closely with leading local counsel when advising on these matters.
We advise on a wide range of issues relevant to our clients in the sector, including mergers and acquisitions, corporate and commercial, private equity, capital markets, financing, real estate and environmental issues, intellectual property, competition and regulatory, pensions and employment and tax.
- We are frequently instructed on matters of key significance to our industrial clients, which means that we focus on the most high-value, complex deals in the sector, requiring innovative thinking, and highly creative and non-standardised advice.
- Our industrial group comprises of a pool of cross-disciplinary partners and associates, supported by expert sector advisers. We are able to provide an integrated team providing the highest quality legal service and ensuring delivery against realistic timetables and milestones.
- Demonstrated by our large base of longstanding clients, we have a strong commitment to building lasting relationships with our clients. We are organised to be client focused and we place quality of advice and service before our own growth.
- We have a flexible approach to providing cross jurisdictional legal advice, and regularly work with other market-leading independent law firms to provide our clients with a seamless service.
Key experience
Advised GKN plc, on its defence strategy against a hostile takeover bid from Melrose Industries plc. GKN, founded in 1759, is a British multinational automotive and aerospace components company. We advised GKN through a high profile, hard fought battle to defend against the proposed takeover which involved a whole-scale defence strategy, including the proposed combination of GKN’s automotive business and Dana Inc. Added complexities and challenges came from government and public scrutiny, including that this was the first full hostile takeover offer of this scale in the social media age.
Advised Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings plc, the iconic producer of hand-crafted luxury sports cars, on its successful initial public offering. This resulted in a total market capitalisation of approximately £4.33 billion at the commencement of conditional dealings on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange. IPOs can be an extremely challenging activity for clients to undertake, especially when there is increased scrutiny from being a household name. By leveraging our significant expertise and experience, we were able to provide the highest level of support and practical advice.
Advised Tata Steel, as part of an integrated team with Hengeler Mueller in Germany, Bredin Prat in France and De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek in The Netherlands, on its definitive agreements to enter into a 50/50 Joint Venture with thyssenkrupp AG to create a leading European steel enterprise by combining the flat steel businesses of the two companies in Europe and the steel mill services of the thyssenkrupp group. The Tata Steel Group is a leading global steel company and thyssenkrupp AG is a German multinational corporation and one of the largest steel producers in the world. Our strong relationships with our ‘Best Friend’ law firms allowed us to provide an integrated international service.
Advised CEMEX, S.A.B. de C.V., the global building materials company, on a new syndicated facilities agreement for a total amount of U.S.$4.05 billion with twenty financial institutions. The terms of the new facilities agreement represented an improvement on the terms of CEMEX’s existing facility and provided greater operational and financial flexibility. This was part of a range of financing work undertaken with CEMEX over a period of ten years.
Decades of experience in this area coupled with our commitment to getting to know your people, culture and business, allows us to provide you with practical and focused advice. Our multi-specialist approach provides you with consistency and continuity to be able to work with the same team of partners who can adapt to whatever you need.
