Mergers & Acquisitions
Weil has helped advise clients on some of the largest and most innovative transactions in the marketplace. In the last year alone, Weil has advised on more than 100 transactions larger than $1 billion for clients in a range of sectors and geographies.
Notable Representations, Key Contacts
Strategic Business Partners in Global M&A
Thinking Outside the Box
Boards of Directors, Special Board Committees and Governance
We have substantial experience assisting Boards of Directors and Special Board Committees with internal investigations, governmental investigations and litigation (including securities, class action and derivative litigations arising out of M&A transactions involving affiliated entities).
Nuanced Understanding of Activism and Takeover Defense
Significant Recent Global M&A Matters
Apergy Corporation
athenahealth, Inc.
Atos S.E.
Belmond Ltd.
Brookfield Asset Management Inc.
- and Brookfield Property Partners L.P. (BPY) in BPY's $14.4 billion acquisition of the approximately 66% of common stock that it did not already own of GGP Inc. (f/k/a General Growth Properties Inc.).
- Brookfield Business Partners in its pending $8 billion sale of Westinghouse Electric Company.
- in its approximately $4.8 billion acquisition of a 61.2% stake in Oaktree Capital Group, LLC.
- in its $2.8 billion acquisition of all of the outstanding common shares not already owned by Brookfield Property Partners L.P. of Rouse Properties, Inc., a REIT that owns and manages regional shopping malls in the United States.
Campbell Soup Company
Churchill Capital Corp III
Dow
- The Dow Chemical Company in its $130 billion all-stock merger of equals with E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company.
- in its approximately $40 billion spin-off from DowDuPont Inc. as part of DowDuPont's separation into three independent, publicly traded companies, one each for its agriculture, materials science and specialty products businesses.
Eli Lilly and Company
- in its approximately $8 billion acquisition of Loxo Oncology, Inc.
- in its $5.4 billion acquisition of the animal health business of Novartis AG, making Lilly's animal health business the second-largest animal health company by global revenue.
- in its $1.1 billion acquisition of Dermira, Inc.
- in its acquisitions of CoLucid Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Inc., Lohmann SE, ChemGen Corp., the world-wide rights to an intranasal glucagon from Locemia, and the North American rights to Erbitux® (cetuximab) (including commercialization and manufacturing responsibilities) from Bristol-Myers Squibb Company; and in the sale of veterinary assets to Virbac SA.
Getty Images Inc.
Kinder Morgan
- in its $76 billion acquisition of all of the outstanding equity securities of Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P., Kinder Morgan Management, LLC, and El Paso Pipeline Partners, L.P. — at the time, the largest energy merger since Exxon and Mobil combined in 1999.
- in its $5 billion acquisition of Copano Energy.
- in its $38 billion acquisition of El Paso Corporation, creating one of the largest energy companies in the world and in El Paso’s concurrent $7.15 billion sale of its E&P production business, EP Energy Corporation.
- and Kinder Morgan Canada Limited in their $3.5 billion sale of Trans Mountain Pipelines Inc. and the Trans Mountain Expansion Project to the Government of Canada.
The Kroger Company
- in the $2.15 billion sale of its convenience store business unit to EG Group.
- in its acquisition of Vitacost.com, Inc.
- in its acquisition via tender offer of Roundy’s, Inc.
- in its strategic partnership with, and investment in, Lucky’s Market.
Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.
MGM Resorts International (MGM Resorts)
- in its $17.2 billion sale of MGM Growth Properties LLC to VICI Properties Inc.
- in the formation of a joint venture between MGM Growth Properties LLC and Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust to acquire the Las Vegas real estate assets of the MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay for $4.6 billion and to lease back these assets to subsidiaries of MGM Resorts.
- in its $4.25 billion sale of the Bellagio to a joint venture MGM Resorts formed with Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust and its planned leaseback of the Bellagio.
- in its $2.1 billion acquisition of the 50% stake it did not already own in CityCenter and its $3.9 billion sale and leaseback of the Aria Resort and Vdara Hotel real estate at CityCenter.
- in its formation MGM Growth Properties LLC (MGP), a controlled REIT, and in corporate, real estate and tax aspects of MGP’s $1.05 billion initial public offering.
- in its $1.175 billion sale of the real property of the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey to MGM Growth Properties LLC. The sale followed MGM Resorts’ $900 million acquisition of the 50% interest in the Borgata that it did not already own from Boyd Gaming Corporation.
- in its $1.625 billion acquisition of the operations of The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
- in its $1.075 billion sale of the operations of The Mirage Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip to Hard Rock International.
NEOGEN Corporation
Nexeo Solutions Inc.
Transaction Committee of the Board of Directors of Reynolds American Inc.
Sanofi
- in its $25 billion exchange of Merial, its animal health business, for the consumer healthcare business of Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH.
- in its $13 billion sale of nearly all of its 20.6% stake in Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
- in its $11.6 billion acquisition of Bioverativ Inc.
- in its $4.8 billion acquisition of Ablynx NV.
- in its $3.7 billion acquisition of Principia Biopharma Inc.
- in its $3.2 billion acquisition of Translate Bio, Inc.
- in its $2.5 billion acquisition of Synthorx, Inc.
- in its $2.35 billion sale of Zentiva to Advent International.
- in its $1.9 billion acquisition of Kadmon Holdings, Inc.
- in its up to $1.45 billion acquisition of Kymab, Ltd.
- in its up to $1.225 billion acquisition of Amunix Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc.
in its $14.6 billion merger with Discovery Communications, Inc.
Total S.A.
in its $4 billion acquisition of all of the oil and natural gas assets, liabilities, businesses and operations of Anadarko Petroleum Corporation in Mozambique and South Africa.
Vonage Holdings Corp.
Willis Towers Watson PLC
- Willis Towers Watson PLC in its proposed $80 billion combination with Aon PLC.
- Willis Group Holdings plc in its $18 billion merger of equals with Towers Watson & Co.
- Willis Towers Watson PLC in its $1.3 billion acquisition of TRANZACT.
Key Contacts
See list of lawyers globally
Shortcut Links
Ranked Tier 1 for M&A: Large Deals ($1bn+)
Legal 500 US 2024
Ranked Tier 1 in M&A Category in the United States for the 12th Year Running
IFLR1000 2024
Winner of “France M&A Legal Adviser of the Year”
Mergermarket European M&A Awards 2022
It’s a super, full-service Firm that does cutting-edge deals” and “the Firm always brings its A-team to every deal.”
Chambers USA
They are creative, thoughtful lawyers who can handle anything.”
Chambers USA
Beyond the very high-level legal expertise, the firm stands out for its creativity, legal innovation and strategic sense."
Chambers Europe 2022
Named a “Leading” Firm for Corporate/M&A
Chambers USA 2024; Chambers Global 2023; Chambers Europe 2022
Named “SPAC Legal Advisory Firm of the Year”
Mergermarket North America M&A Awards 2021
M&A Partner Michael J. Aiello Ranked Band 1 for Corporate/M&A
Chambers Global 2024 and Chambers USA 2024
M&A Partner Michael J. Aiello Named MVP for M&A
Law360 2020, 2017, 2016
Recognized for “M&A Deal of the Year, $250-$999 million category” for Advising Main Event Entertainment in its Sale to Dave & Buster’s, Inc.
D CEO and Association for Corporate Growth-DFW Mergers & Acquisitions Awards 2023
It’s a super, full-service Firm that does cutting-edge deals” and “the Firm always brings its A-team to every deal.”
Chambers USA 2021
Diverse, talented group of practitioners” who “work seamlessly to drive outcomes and provide guidance and support in complex transactions.”
Legal 500 US 2021
Awards and Recognition, Speaking Engagements, Guides and Resources, Latest Thinking, Firm News & Announcements
Awards and Recognition
- Weil Ranked Tier 1 for M&A: Large Deals ($1bn+) Award Brief — Legal 500 2024
- Weil Ranked Tier 1 for M&A in the U.S. for the 12th Year Running Award Brief — IFLR1000 2024
- Weil Named “France M&A Legal Adviser of the Year” Award Brief — Mergermarket European M&A Awards 2022
- Weil Named “SPAC Legal Advisory Firm of the Year” Award Brief — Mergermarket North America M&A Awards 2021
- Weil Named a “Leading” Firm for M&A in the U.K., France, Germany, China and Hong Kong Award Brief — IFLR1000 2022
- Weil Named a “Leading” Firm for Corporate/M&A, Global-wide and in the U.S., U.K., France and China Award Brief — Chambers Global 2023
- Weil Ranked Tier 1 for M&A in New York Award Brief — IFLR1000 2024
- Weil Named a “Leading” Firm for Corporate/M&A in the U.K. and France Award Brief — Chambers Europe 2022
- Michael J. Aiello Ranked Band 1 for Corporate/M&A in New York Award Brief — Chambers USA 2024 and Chambers Global 2024
- Weil Named a “Leading” Firm for Corporate/M&A: The Elite in New York, Northern California, Texas and the U.S. Award Brief — Chambers USA 2024
- Weil Named a “Leading” Firm for Corporate/M&A in Massachusetts Award Brief — Chambers USA 2024
Speaking Engagements
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PLI’s Doing Deals 2023: The Art of M&A Transactional Practice
Speaker(s):
Amanda Fenster
March 1, 2023 — New York, NY — Weil Mergers & Acquisitions partner Amanda Fenster spoke on a panel titled “Negotiating the M&A Agreement in the Time of Covid and Beyond” as part of PLI’s Doing Deals 2023: The Art of M&A Transactional Practice.
Latest Thinking
- New Listing Rules for London Publication — By David Avery-Gee, Sarah Flaherty and Murray Cox — July 11, 2024
- Updates to the UK Takeover Code Publication — By Michael Francies, David Avery-Gee, Murray Cox, Sarah Flaherty, Ian Hamilton and Jack Gray — May 03, 2024
- Market Effectiveness Update: Changes to the UK Listing, Prospectus and Secondary Capital Raising Regimes Publication — By Michael Francies, David Avery-Gee, Murray Cox, Ian Hamilton, Alexander D. Lynch and Merritt S. Johnson — Spring 2023
Firm News & Announcements
- Five Weil Partners Recognized as IFLR1000 Women Leaders in 2024 Firm Announcement — October 08, 2024
- Weil Advises WTW in $632M Sale of TRANZACT to GTCR and Recognize Deal Brief — October 01, 2024
- Weil Achieves High Rankings in 2024 LMG Life Sciences Guide Firm Announcement — September 23, 2024
- Weil Continues to Demonstrate Market Leading Position in Private Equity and Restructuring in 2024 IFLR1000 Asia-Pacific Rankings Firm Announcement — September 19, 2024
- Two Weil Matters Named “Impact Deal of the Year” at LMG Life Sciences Americas Awards 2024 Firm Announcement — September 11, 2024
- Weil Guides SAS Through a Successful Emergence from Chapter 11 Deal Brief — August 29, 2024
- Weil Advises Catalina in Sale of NCSolutions to Circana Deal Brief — August 26, 2024
- Weil and 74 Attorneys Recognized in the 2024 Edition of IFLR1000 Firm Announcement — August 05, 2024