A&O Shearman

We are delighted to announce that energy transition specialists Paul Astolfi and Katy McNeil have joined our Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure practice in the U.S. “The addition of Paul and Katy is a major step forward for our market-leading energy and alternative energy practice and overall U.S. growth plans, and we are thrilled to be bolstering our capability in the Texas and Chicago markets as well," said Adam Hakki, co-chair of the global Executive Committee and Board, and U.S. chair. Paul is a market-leading advisor with decades of experience in finance, mergers and acquisitions, and energy transition projects, specializing in renewable energy and multi-tiered financing structures. He will be based in Dallas, Texas. Katy specializes in U.S. domestic renewable energy, advising financial institutions, institutional investors, and developers on project finance, solar asset-backed securities and other complex financial instruments, mergers and acquisitions, tax credit monetization, and workout agreements. She will be based in Chicago, a critical U.S. business center, where we will be launching a presence commencing with these hires, subject to requisite approvals. Find out more about Paul and Katy here: https://ow.ly/8OO750VvGzr #AOShearman #RenewableEnergy #EnergyTransition

MidEuropa Partners, a leading private equity firm focused on investments in Central Europe, has agreed the sale of Regina Maria Group, a leading private healthcare provider in Romania and Serbia, to Mehiläinen, the largest healthcare and social care provider in Finland and a portfolio company of CVC Capital Partners. This transaction marks the largest ever healthcare services transaction in Central Europe. Closing is subject to mandatory regulatory clearances and is expected to take place later this year. Our global co-head of private equity and private equity sector lead Stephen Lloyd said: "We are delighted to have advised MidEuropa on this landmark healthcare transaction." The team advising MidEuropa was led by private equity partner Stephen Lloyd alongside senior associate Caroline Crawford and associates Caitlin Smith and Livia Gauntlett. With support from senior associates Adarsh Chhabria and Soyeon Lim, antitrust partner David Weaver, leveraged finance partner Adam Zecharia and tax partner Tim Harrop. Get an in depth look of the broader team involved and transaction here: https://lnkd.in/eQucuQHG #AOShearman

We are excited to announce our new partnership with Harvey to develop AI-based agents that can tackle complex legal tasks using cutting-edge reasoning models and agentic AI. These AI agents incorporate A&O Shearman’s legal expertise with Harvey’s best-in-class AI. The initial agents will cover: • Merger control filing analysis • Cybersecurity contractual obligations • Fund formation documentation review • Loan review They will be deployed both internally and offered to clients and other law firms. These areas demand deep legal knowledge and multi-step reasoning – ideal for transformation by our lawyers and Harvey’s technology. Winston Weinberg, CEO and Co-founder of Harvey: "For decades, the legal industry has relied on the same structure and approach to deliver results for clients. Together with A&O Shearman, Harvey is building agentic workflows that save tremendous amounts of time without sacrificing accuracy and trust. This combination presents a powerful combination with remarkable potential for the industry and for current and future clients." You can read more here: https://lnkd.in/e9-xc9Fa To view this article you may need to subscribe. #AOShearman #Harvey #AI

Our sponsor side leveraged finance team advised Providence Equity Partners (“Providence”), on the financing for its acquisition of Tax Systems from Bowmark Capital. Tax Systems is a leading specialist provider of software and solutions which digitize the tax compliance process – enabling tax professionals to automate workflows, enhance compliance, mitigate risk and generate valuable insights from their tax function. This acquisition will support Tax Systems' continued platform expansion and innovation, targeting new tax and regulatory compliance solutions in existing and new geographies. The team was led by partner Nick Hallam and associate Jack Mellett. Discover more here: https://lnkd.in/enE5h_Kq #AOShearman

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. has announced its acquisition of Commonwealth Financial Network, the largest privately-held independent wealth management firm in the U.S., for USD2.7 billion. Commonwealth Financial, headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, provides integrated business solutions and services to approximately 2,900 financial advisors who manage around USD285bn in brokerage and advisory assets. “We are delighted to have supported LPL Financial in its acquisition of Commonwealth Financial, two exceptional client-centric wealth management companies,” said M&A partner Robert Cardone. “The work of the A&O Shearman team on this transaction illustrates the depth and versatility of the firm’s talented corporate practitioners.” The cross practice team advising LPL Financial was led by M&A of counsel Stephen Besen and partner Bobby Cardone, alongside associate Aaron Swartzman. With support from antitrust partner Benjamin Gris, financial services regulatory partner Hilary Sunghee Seo, tax counsel John Hibbard, debt finance partner Gus Atiyah and capital markets partner Ryan Robski. Get an in depth look of the broader team involved and transaction here: https://lnkd.in/epNH6Wbk #AOShearman

Congratulations to the entire team on the upcoming publication of the fourth edition of 'Fuller on The Law and Practice of International Capital Markets'! This updated edition is a testament to the dedication and expertise of our Global Financial Markets practice. The comprehensive coverage and the addition of new chapters on emerging areas like digital bonds reflect our commitment to staying at the forefront of legal and market developments. Well done to everyone involved.

Do the Commissions' Omnibus proposals fundamentally change the #CS3D? In our latest bulletin, we explore whether the #Omnibus Package will change diligence obligations for in-scope companies and what the guidance is now, as preparations continue. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eixMezNU #AOShearman #Sustainability

In our March edition of Antitrust in focus, we highlight the findings from our analysis of global antitrust enforcement trends and comment on (even more) U.K. merger control regime developments, new UAE merger filing thresholds, proposals for Dutch call-in powers, and Germany’s first use of its new competition tool. We also examine the EC’s FSR guidelines consultation and its approach to antitrust and foreign investment in the Clean Industrial Deal. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/evJwQHwb #AOShearman

Happy Eid Al-Fitr!   As we come together to celebrate Eid Al-Fitr, we wanted to extend our warmest wishes to all our friends, and colleagues around the world. May this special occasion bring peace, happiness, and prosperity to you and your loved ones. Wishing everyone a blessed and joyous Eid filled with love, laughter, and memorable moments. Eid Mubarak! #AOShearman #EidMubarak

It was great to welcome clients from around the world to our M&A Academy this week in London. With 56 attendees from 50 organizations and 15 countries, the event featured a team of speakers from across our network providing invaluable insights into the ever-evolving M&A landscape. The Academy covered a broad range of topics, including running a successful auction, navigating the regulatory landscape, global trends in private M&A, specialist traps in M&A, the impact of tariffs and export controls, the use of artificial intelligence in M&A, and litigators’ top tips for avoiding M&A disputes. Beyond the sessions, the event also provided a fantastic opportunity for our clients to network with their peers and our team of experts. Key insights included: • M&A markets have been unsettled over the last couple of months. • There are plenty of thorny issues on the regulatory front that need careful consideration. • The use of AI in M&A processes is rapidly increasing. Thank you to everyone who attended, we look forward to continuing these important conversations and collaborations. #AOShearman #MergersAndAcquisitions