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Public companies
As a publicly traded company, your business has already been hugely successful. That success comes with responsibility, particularly to your shareholders, to go on producing excellent results. To keep growing you need to consolidate what has already been achieved, but also seek out new opportunities and markets.
Economics of scale
Staying efficient is a major challenge facing large companies. As you operate in more locations with more employees and partners, it’s important to get the right structures and agreements in place to protect your business. There will be commercial contracts, real estate deals, tax considerations, and regulatory issues to consider. From time to time, you may need to restructure; perhaps to acquire or dispose of assets.
Change is not always easy to implement in a public company. There is a natural tension between risk-takers and those who will argue that ‘this is the way we’ve always done it’. Shareholder activism is affecting many public companies, as stakeholders take a vocal interest in board appointments and decisions. Steering the course towards the best possible results needs good judgment and strong leadership.
A full-service team
Like you, we are a large and growing business that offers exceptional service. With lawyers in 17 offices around the world focused on corporate, employment, intellectual property, real estate, finance, litigation, tax and reputation management, we understand all your legal needs and can work closely with senior executives or in-house counsel to meet them.
Our advice covers everything from contracts to corporate structures and governance. Our dedicated corporate tax team will consider your local and cross-border tax planning strategies, and we have in-depth experience of regulatory matters including competition/antitrust, data privacy, anti-corruption legislation and consumer laws.
Whatever stage you are at in your journey as a public company, from IPOs to M&A, we can advise.
How we can help
Going public is a pivotal moment, and one that will have been a long time in the planning. From tax advice to governance, we have assisted in the public offerings of many household-name companies.
Commercial agreementsProperly structured agreements will protect and advance your interests. With knowledge across sectors such as luxury brands, sport and the arts, we draft contracts that work for the long term.
Corporate financeWe help companies secure the finance they need to thrive and are skilled at advising on the requirements of the different jurisdictions in which they operate.
Fees for bringing and defending claims for unfair and wrongful dismissal in the employment tribunal
Intellectual propertyOur lawyers have wide industry knowledge and experience, allowing them to advise on how to best protect mission-critical intellectual property and data.
With sector knowledge in finance, technology, retail, real estate, hospitality, fashion and luxury brands, our lawyers can guide you to the most suitable global tax arrangements for your business.
Real estateOur lawyers have experience with all kinds of property transactions. Whether you’re a business building a global presence, or an individual looking to acquire a new home, we’re here to help.
Shareholder disputesWith a wealth of experience advising on shareholder rights and remedies, as well as the purchase of shares, our shareholder disputes lawyers are adept at handling key exits and will help you manage the process as smoothly as possible – even in acrimonious circumstances.
Track record
Japanese tax advice to Hitachi Ltd
We provide tax advice to Hitachi Ltd and its wholly-owned subsidiary Hitachi Appliances, Inc. in connection with its entering into a joint venture of Hitachi's global heating, refrigeration, and cooling lines of business, with Johnson Controls.
Multijurisdictional tax advice to Aboitiz Equity Ventures
We are the lead tax advisors for Aboitiz Equity Ventures who are one of the largest Philippines multi-national that is listed on the Philippines Stock Exchange. We advise in relation to its energy, banking and finance, food, land and infrastructure investments across Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and other areas in the region.
Ukrainian company bond issue
Faced with a bond issue on the Channel Island stock exchange, we advised a Ukrainian company on how to proceed and retain their financial position.
A public chemical company
We represented a US$6 billion public chemical company in a US$1.25 billion term loan and its commercial paper program. Corporate and corporate tax lawyers from Greenwich, New York and New Haven worked on these matters.
Stock issuance to a Canadian asset management firm
We represented a public company and one of the world's largest manufacturers of graphite and carbon-based products in its US$150 million convertible preferred stock issuance to a Canadian asset management firm, followed by a tender offer and merger with a value of US$695 million pursuant to which the Canadian firm acquired the company and the company went private.
Russian engineering firm
We represent a substantial Russian engineering business, recently advising on the international tax aspects of its group restructuring prior to IPO.
€40 million loans to Sogefi
Sogefi are a manufacturer of components and filter systems for the automotive industry. We acted for Sogefi in relation to two loans of €40 million in total, which were made by a major bank to finance their research and development programme.
LG Electronics Inc
Our Singapore team successfully acted for LG Electronics Inc. in a trade mark opposition filed by headphones manufacturer Beats Electronics, LLC against the registration of the mark 'QuadBeat' before the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore, securing a favourable decision.
€123.5 million loan to finance a hydroelectric power plant
We represented a multilateral agency on a €123.5 million loan to Hrvatska Elektroprivreda DD to finance the construction of a 68MW Ombla hydroelectric power plant at the Rijeka Dubrovacka Bay near Dubrovnik.
Ariston Thermo SpA acquisition of a UK distributor of boilers
Ariston Thermo SpA is one of the world's leading manufacturers of boilers, burners and solar thermal equipment, with a current turnover of €1.1 billion, they have 6,500 employees and are present in 10 countries with 18 production sites and distribute their products in over 150 countries. Withers have advised on the acquisition of a UK distributor of boilers on Ariston Thermo SpA's behalf.
Japanese tax advice to Hitachi Ltd
We provide tax advice to Hitachi Ltd and its wholly-owned subsidiary Hitachi Appliances, Inc. in connection with its entering into a joint venture of Hitachi's global heating, refrigeration, and cooling lines of business, with Johnson Controls.
Multijurisdictional tax advice to Aboitiz Equity Ventures
We are the lead tax advisors for Aboitiz Equity Ventures who are one of the largest Philippines multi-national that is listed on the Philippines Stock Exchange. We advise in relation to its energy, banking and finance, food, land and infrastructure investments across Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and other areas in the region.
LG Electronics Inc
Our Singapore team successfully acted for LG Electronics Inc. in a trade mark opposition filed by headphones manufacturer Beats Electronics, LLC against the registration of the mark 'QuadBeat' before the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore, securing a favourable decision.
Radicle Projects Plc
Radicle Projects Plc is an investor in Australian agribusiness projects, including bio forests and energy crops. We advised on Radicle Projects Plc's convertible debt offering of and listing on Luxembourg Stock Exchange's Euro-MTF market.
Hitachi Chemical
We advised Hitachi Chemical, in its investment in Ito Group Holdings, a Singapore limited exempt private company and its US, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Indian and European subsidiaries. The acquisition is part of the company's expansion efforts to capture demand from emerging countries and other target markets for its products which range from functional materials to advanced components and systems and have applications in the automotive, energy storage, electronics and diagnostics industries. Hitachi Chemicals is a division of Hitachi Ltd, the highly diversified Japanese multi-national conglomerate listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
AES Corporation, Aquila and El Paso
We advised AES Corporation, Aquila and El Paso on various power projects, including project company acquisitions and disposals in the UK, eastern Europe and Africa on the following projects: Aquila in connection with its $2.1 billion acquisition of Midland Electricity plc; and El Paso on the disposal of its minority interest in the Kladno power project in the Czech Republic and its exit from a power project in Fife, Scotland.
Ukrainian company bond issue
Faced with a bond issue on the Channel Island stock exchange, we advised a Ukrainian company on how to proceed and retain their financial position.
€40 million loans to Sogefi
Sogefi are a manufacturer of components and filter systems for the automotive industry. We acted for Sogefi in relation to two loans of €40 million in total, which were made by a major bank to finance their research and development programme.
€123.5 million loan to finance a hydroelectric power plant
We represented a multilateral agency on a €123.5 million loan to Hrvatska Elektroprivreda DD to finance the construction of a 68MW Ombla hydroelectric power plant at the Rijeka Dubrovacka Bay near Dubrovnik.
Ariston Thermo SpA acquisition of a UK distributor of boilers
Ariston Thermo SpA is one of the world's leading manufacturers of boilers, burners and solar thermal equipment, with a current turnover of €1.1 billion, they have 6,500 employees and are present in 10 countries with 18 production sites and distribute their products in over 150 countries. Withers have advised on the acquisition of a UK distributor of boilers on Ariston Thermo SpA's behalf.
IPO for Hightex Group
Hightex Group is a UK, Swiss and German membrane and renewable energy company. Withers has acted for Hightex Group on their IPO on the AIM market. We have also advised Hightex Group on their reverse takeover of West 175 Media Group Inc., the acquisition of HighTex International (HTI) AG, and on the acquisition of SolarNext AG, a German company active in the solar and alternative energy sectors.
AES Corporation, Aquila and El Paso
We advised AES Corporation, Aquila and El Paso on various power projects, including project company acquisitions and disposals in the UK, eastern Europe and Africa on the following projects: Aquila in connection with its $2.1 billion acquisition of Midland Electricity plc; and El Paso on the disposal of its minority interest in the Kladno power project in the Czech Republic and its exit from a power project in Fife, Scotland.
Deutsche Bank
We advised Deutsche Bank on a loan of £10 million secured on a collection of silver.
London Stock Exchange quoted Kazakh Company
We advised a main London Stock Exchange quoted Kazakh Company on issues arising in connection with a Luxembourg listed USD$200 million convertible bond issue and mandatory convertible bond.
Radicle Projects Plc
Radicle Projects Plc is an investor in Australian agribusiness projects, including bio forests and energy crops. We advised on Radicle Projects Plc's convertible debt offering of and listing on Luxembourg Stock Exchange's Euro-MTF market.
Hitachi Chemical
We advised Hitachi Chemical, in its investment in Ito Group Holdings, a Singapore limited exempt private company and its US, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Indian and European subsidiaries. The acquisition is part of the company's expansion efforts to capture demand from emerging countries and other target markets for its products which range from functional materials to advanced components and systems and have applications in the automotive, energy storage, electronics and diagnostics industries. Hitachi Chemicals is a division of Hitachi Ltd, the highly diversified Japanese multi-national conglomerate listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
A public chemical company
We represented a US$6 billion public chemical company in a US$1.25 billion term loan and its commercial paper program. Corporate and corporate tax lawyers from Greenwich, New York and New Haven worked on these matters.
Stock issuance to a Canadian asset management firm
We represented a public company and one of the world's largest manufacturers of graphite and carbon-based products in its US$150 million convertible preferred stock issuance to a Canadian asset management firm, followed by a tender offer and merger with a value of US$695 million pursuant to which the Canadian firm acquired the company and the company went private.
EPC contract advice to retro-fit coal fired power stations with 'green' technology
We advised an American specialist engineering contractor on EPC contracts to retro-fit existing coal fired power stations with 'green' technology. These contracts were based on various FIDIC, NEC3 and bespoke terms. We also offered additional advice on joint venture arrangements with other specialist contractors.
Hitachi Chemical
We advised Hitachi Chemical, in its investment in Ito Group Holdings, a Singapore limited exempt private company and its US, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Indian and European subsidiaries. The acquisition is part of the company's expansion efforts to capture demand from emerging countries and other target markets for its products which range from functional materials to advanced components and systems and have applications in the automotive, energy storage, electronics and diagnostics industries. Hitachi Chemicals is a division of Hitachi Ltd, the highly diversified Japanese multi-national conglomerate listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
Russian engineering firm
We represent a substantial Russian engineering business, recently advising on the international tax aspects of its group restructuring prior to IPO.
London Stock Exchange quoted Kazakh Company
We advised a main London Stock Exchange quoted Kazakh Company on issues arising in connection with a Luxembourg listed USD$200 million convertible bond issue and mandatory convertible bond.
Our team
M. Ridgway Barker
Partner | Greenwich
Ben Williams
Partner | London
Akinari Nakano
Partner | Tokyo
Yin T. Ho
Partner | San Francisco
David Guin
Partner | New York
Polly Chu
Partner | Hong Kong
Carl Newman
Partner | London
Ann M. Wicks
Partner | San Francisco
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