Leon N.Ferera

Partner

London + 44.20.7039.5213

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Leon Ferera has been advising clients on an extensive range of corporate transactions and governance matters, including public takeover offers, private M&A transactions, buyouts, and joint ventures, for more than 25 years. He was seconded for two years to the UK Takeover Panel (where he was also secretary to the Code Committee, which carries out the Panel's rulemaking functions) and for one year to Invesco's UK equities team. Leon leads the London M&A Practice.

Leon's representative matters include advising: Reynolds American on its $27.4 billion acquisition of Lorillard and subsequent $49 billion acquisition by BAT; Koch Real Estate Investments on its bid with Fortress for Wm Morrison Supermarkets; The Stars Group on its £11 billion combination with Flutter; STERIS on its $6.2 billion combination with Synergy Health; Bally's on its $2.7 billion takeover of Gamesys and related $1.5 billion senior notes offering; Signature Aviation on the $1.36 billion sale of its Ontic business to CVC; Ansys on its acquisitions of Motor Design, OnScale, and Granta Design; Hansteen on its £500 million takeover by Blackstone; Freudenberg on its takeover of Low & Bonar; Houlihan Lokey on GVC Holdings' £3.9 billion takeover of Ladbrokes Coral; and Canyon Bridge on its £550 million takeover of Imagination Technologies.

Leon speaks and writes frequently on takeovers, is a member of the takeovers working group of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales' (ICAEW) Corporate Finance Faculty, and is repeatedly recommended in leading legal directories.

Experience

  • IceLake backed HeadFirst Global announces offer for Impellam Group PLCJones Day advised funds managed by Dutch PE firm IceLake Capital on the £483 million takeover of London listed Impellam Group PLC by HeadFirst Global, a company backed by funds managed by IceLake Capital.
  • NEP Group sells SOS Global to Rock-it CargoJones Day advised NEP Group in its sale of SOS Global (SOS) to Rock-it Cargo, the global leader in end-to-end logistics for live events and high net worth goods.
  • ENI acquires Chevron's assets in IndonesiaJones Day advised Italian oil and gas super-major ENI on its acquisition of Chevron’s interests, including operatorship, in the Indonesia Deepwater Development (IDD) project from Chevron.
  • WEG acquires industrial electric motors and generators business from Regal Rexnord CorporationJones Day is advising WEG S.A. in the $400 million acquisition of the industrial electric motors and generators business of Regal Rexnord Corporation.
  • Diebold Nixdorf successfully restructures over $2.7 billion in funded debt and completes the first-ever dual proceeding under the U.S. bankruptcy code and Dutch restructuring law in 71 daysIn the first-ever cross border restructuring involving dual main proceedings under chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and a scheme of arrangement (the "Dutch Scheme") under the Dutch Act on Confirmation of Extrajudicial Plans (Wet Homologatie Onderhands Akkoord ("WHOA")), and the first-ever chapter 15 recognition of Dutch Scheme proceedings and a sanctioned WHOA reorganization plan (the "WHOA Plan"), Jones Day represented Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated ("Diebold") and certain of its U.S. and Canadian subsidiaries (the "Debtors") in connection with (i) the prepackaged chapter 11 cases of In re Diebold Holding Company, LLC, et al., (Case No. 23-90602-DRJ) commenced on June 1, 2023, in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas (the "Bankruptcy Court"); (ii) the Dutch Scheme, commenced on June 1, 2023 by Diebold Nixdorf Dutch Holding B.V. (the "Dutch Issuer") in the District Court of Amsterdam (the "Dutch Court"), and (iii) the chapter 15 proceedings before the Bankruptcy Court commenced by the foreign representative of the Dutch Issuer, wherein the Bankruptcy Court recognized the Dutch Scheme proceeding as a foreign main proceeding and recognized and extended comity to the WHOA Plan that was sanctioned by the Dutch Court.
  • Geely forms joint venture with Renault Group to launch leading powertrain technology companyJones Day is advising Geely Automobile Holdings Limited and Geely Holding Group on the creation of a 50/50 joint venture with Renault Group dedicated to becoming the global leader in developing, manufacturing, and supplying best-in-class hybrid and highly efficient internal combustion engine powertrains.
  • VSE Corporation partners with The Loar Group to acquire Desser AerospaceJones Day advised VSE Corporation (NASDAQ: VSEC) ("VSE") in its acquisition (the "Acquisition") of Desser Aerospace ("Desser") for a purchase price of $124 million.
  • Timken acquires Nadella Group from ICGJones Day advised The Timken Company in the acquisition of Nadella Group, a leading European manufacturer of linear guides, telescopic rails, actuators and systems and other specialized industrial motion solutions, from ICG plc.
  • Real Alloy sells European business to SpeiraJones Day advised Real Alloy Holding, LLC in the sale of its European aluminum and magnesium recycling operations to Speira GmbH, an affiliate of KPS Capital Partners.
  • RIA Advisory receives strategic investment by Avance Investment ManagementJones Day advised RIA Advisory in the strategic investment by Avance Investment Management.
  • Ansys strengthens electric machine design offerings through acquisition of Motor Design LimitedJones Day advised Ansys in the acquisition of Motor Design Limited.
  • Ansys, Inc. acquires OnScale, Inc.Jones Day advised Ansys, Inc. in the acquisition of OnScale, Inc., a cloud simulation provider.
  • Raine invests in MidniteJones Day advised Raine Capital LLC in the Series A investment in Midnite, a London-based eSports betting operator.
  • Framatome acquires Rolls-Royce Civil Nuclear Instrumentation and Control business in France and ChinaJones Day advised Framatome, an international leader in nuclear energy recognized for its innovative solutions and value added technologies for the global nuclear fleet, in its acquisition of the Rolls-Royce Civil Nuclear Instrumentation and Control business in France and China.
  • Materion acquires H.C. Starck's electronic materials portfolio for $380 millionJones Day advised Materion Corporation, a world leader in high performing advanced materials, in connection with the acquisition and financing of H.C. Starck Solutions' industry-leading, electronic materials business, located in Newton, Massachusetts ("HCS-Electronic Materials") for $380 million.
  • Bally's acquires Gamesys for $2.7 billionJones Day advised Bally's Corporation in connection with the $2.7 billion acquisition and financing of Gamesys Ltd., an LSE-listed online gaming company.
  • Bally’s completes $1.5 billion Senior Notes offeringJones Day represented Bally's Corporation, a leading owner and operator of 14 casinos across ten states as well as online gaming and sports betting platforms, in connection with the issuance by two of its unrestricted subsidiaries of $750 million aggregate principal amount of 5.625% Senior Notes due 2029 and $750 million aggregate principal amount of 5.875% Senior Notes due 2031.
  • Jennmar sells ownership of Rocbolt Technologies in China, South Africa and Mongolia to SandvikJones Day advised Jennmar Corporation in the sale of its ownership of Rocbolt Technologies in China, South Africa and Mongolia to Sandvik.
  • Koch Real Estate Investments invests in Oppidum Bidco's all cash offer for Wm Morrison SupermarketsJones Day advised Koch Real Estate Investments, LLC as investor in the attempted all cash offer by Oppidum Bidco Limited for Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC, the UK's fourth largest supermarket chain.
  • Avient acquires Magna ColoursJones Day advised Avient Corporation in the $48 million acquisition of Magna Colours Ltd., a market leader in sustainable, water-based inks technology for the textile screen printing industry.
    • View All

    September 2023 Commentary

    Amendments to the Hong Kong Codes on Takeovers and Mergers and Share Buybacks

    August 2023 Alert

    Consultation Conclusions on Proposed Amendments to Enforcement-Related Provisions of Hong Kong's SFO

    August 2023 Commentary

    Consultation Paper on the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission's Proposed Amendments to the Takeovers Codes

    January 2023 White Paper

    Key Lessons from UK National Security and Investment Regime's First Year

    January 2022 White Paper

    2021 Transactional Year in Review and 2022 Forecast

    May 2021 Alert

    Additional Changes in German Foreign Direct Investment Control

    April 2021 Alert

    Australian Regulators Stress the Importance of Managing Climate-Related Risk

    February 2021 Commentary

    ASIC Signals Increasing Expectations for Climate Change Disclosures

    February 2021 Alert

    Germany to Further Tighten its Foreign Direct Investment Control Law

    November 2020 Commentary

    New Foreign Investment Control Regime Coming to the UK
    View All

    Additional Publications

    Speaking Engagements

    • April 17, 2019
      Foreign Investment Review and Public Takeovers in the UK - Key considerations for Chinese investors, Jones Day Shanghai Outbound Seminar
    • April 16, 2019
      Key considerations for Chinese investment into the UK, Jones Day Beijing Outbound Seminar
    • April 15, 2019
      Foreign Investment Review and Public Takeovers in the UK - Key considerations for Chinese investors, Seminar to CAPE
    • 20 avril 2017
      Finale de la 3ème édition du Prix Jones Day/ESSEC/Paris II
    • 17 novembre 2016
      Atelier AFJE "Négocier un contrat de cession d'actions pro-vendeur"
    • November 9, 2016
      Jones Day Global Life Sciences Conference – 2016 Issues & Trends
    • June 3, 2015
      Global Insights: The Future of M&A
    • April 2012
      In the Battle for Success, How to Win the M&A War, panelist, Merrill Datasite webinar
    • September 2011
      CNBC/Global Finance webcast on Trends in European M&A, panelist
    • March 2009
      The Expro International case and schemes of arrangement, Jones Day client seminar
    • February 5, 2009
      Impacts juridiques de la crise financière sur les opérations de fusions-acquisitions, Atelier AFJE
    • September 2007
      The Takeover Code and AIM, Presentation to Standard Bank
    • July 2006
      The Implementation of the Takeovers Directive, Presentation to Hoare Govett
    • December 2003
      Understanding the Takeover Panel, Presentation to M&A team and members of the European offices of UBS AG
    • October 2003
      Understanding The Takeover Panel, Presentation to London M&A Team of Greenhill

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