Tokyo deal wave anticipated following SoftBank’s £24.3bn ARM takeover

Lawyers working on the £24.3bn ARM Holdings takeover by Tokyo-based telecoms group SoftBank expect more M&A deals to come out of Japan after Slaughter and May, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Davis Polk & Wardwell and Morrison & Foerster (MoFo) scored roles on the deal.

Slaughters advised its long-term client, chip designer ARM, on the largest-ever acquisition of a European tech business. Senior partner Steve Cooke led on the deal alongside corporate partner Chris McGaffin and Brussels competition partner Jordan Ellison. Davis Polk worked alongside Slaughters advising ARM, with a team including managing partner Thomas Reid and London-based corporate partner Reuven Young.

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Osborne Clarke continues Asia phase of international expansion with Singapore tie-up

Formal association with former Bird & Bird partner forms OC Queen Street

Last month saw Legal Business 100 top 25 firm Osborne Clarke (OC) continue the ‘second phase’ of its international growth by entering into a formal association with new Singaporean firm, OC Queen Street. Set up by a former partner of Bird & Bird ATMD, Chia-Ling Koh, OC Queen Street will focus on IT, data and IP, and will initially serve clients in the digital and fintech sectors. Koh will be joined later in the year by further partners and support staff.

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Shanghai savings: HSF first Western firm to open alternative legal services hub in China

With international law firms intent on carving up pricey mandates so that chunks can be processed more mechanically by cheaper teams, Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) has become the first Western firm to open an alternative legal services hub in China. Continue reading “Shanghai savings: HSF first Western firm to open alternative legal services hub in China”