Search results for

October 31 — In what is thought to be the biggest ever industrial deal, Shearman & Sterling represented General Electric in its acquisition of Honeywell, which was advised by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. The Shearman team was led by partner John Marzulli (M&A), and assisted by partners Mark Roppel (M&A), Henry Blackiston (benefits), Laurence Crouch (tax), and Salem Katsh (litigation). Peter Atkins (M&A) led the Skadden team, with assistance from M&A partners David Friedman and Jeffrey Tindell, antitrust partners Benjamin Crisman and James Venit, and Phillip Adams (tax) and Stuart Alperin (benefits). The deal took only two days to complete - this short timescale was the most challenging aspect, according to Marzulli.

UK firm Clifford Chance has advised Wates City of London Properties on the £250 million ($362 million) disposal of four properties to Prudential

The UK chancellor is to introduce tax credit for investors in small businesses in the UK's poorest areas

The UK Inland Revenue has closed 1 million tax files because it is missing information

Slaughter and May has advised Carlton Communications on its acquisition of HTV from Granada

The European Commission has asked Austria to stop granting tax advantages only to local investment funds. Tax exemptions that discriminate against funds from other member states violate Commission rules about freedom to provide services and free capital movement.

Slaughter and May is advising Regus in connection with its planned £1 billion-plus ($1.45 billion) listing on NASDAQ and the London Stock Exchange. Headquartered in the UK, Regus is a world-wide operator of business centres, with a network of 200 centres in 40 countries, including Europe, Australasia, Latin America, Russia, Ukraine, Middle East, Africa and the US. Partner Steve Edge is advising on tax matters, with assistance from Gillian Wheeler.

The Granada merger with Compass in the UK involves an IPO, a public bid for a competitor, a de-merger and a consolidation of public listings. The result is a huge tax challenge. Sandy Frew of Granada, and Daniel Friel and Karen Hughes of Lovells in London, review the tax issues

US firm McDermott Will & Emery is advising Broadbase Software on its purchase of software manufacturer Servicesoft

Herbert Smith is advising Royal London on its acquisition of Scottish Life