United Kingdom: M&A/Private Equity

Premium industrial manufacturing faces commoditization as Chinese competitors rapidly advance along the value chain, leveraging cost advantages and access to critical materials.

Private credit lenders face a new reality as U.S. distressed borrowers increasingly turn to English restructuring tools to reorganize New York law-governed debt outside of Chapter 11. Recent cases demonstrate how Schemes of Arrangement and Restructuring Plans can bind dissenting creditors, reduce minority creditor influence, and potentially circumvent the absolute priority rule. Understanding these cross-border mechanisms has become essential for lenders navigating modern restructuring dynamics.

The Environmental and Waste sector has experienced significant M&A momentum over the past decade, driven by regulatory changes and investor interest in circular economy platforms.

Private capital markets have transformed substantially over the past decade. Private credit has established itself as a mainstream asset class, sponsor-backed mid-market buyouts have grown increasingly sophisticated...

A Court of Appeal case examines whether financial services regulations or property law principles take precedence when a sale and rent back agreement violates the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. The dispute centered on whether innocent parties could recover property transferred to third parties after the original transaction breached regulatory requirements.

In the King’s Speech, which set out the government’s legislative agenda for the upcoming parliamentary session, the government announced legislation to tackle late payments and reform the competition regime, among other proposals. The Background Briefing Notes contain more detail on the proposals.

King Charles III's speech outlines the Government's legislative agenda with significant corporate law reforms, including measures to tackle late payments to small businesses, improvements to merger control processes...

In this second episode of the 2026 World Retail Podcast series on Unlocking volume growth, Ian McGarrigle, Chair of World Retail Congress, is joined by Jaume Miquel Naudí, Chairman...

This horizon scan highlights the principal legal and regulatory developments (excluding tax) that European managers should monitor over the coming months.