Summary

City & Financial Global is delighted to announce the return of its highly regarded M&A Summit, taking place on 21 October. The last two post-COVID years have led to a pent-up demand for deal activity which was thwarted by uncertain economic conditions, rising inflation and higher interest rates. But has all that now changed? M&A involving a UK target is 84 per cent higher this year than it was during the same period in 2023, with the UK public to private market particularly active.  Interest rates have stabilised, inflation is falling, and less volatile markets make it easier for dealmakers to price deals and plan ahead. PE has become the dominant source of deals, accounting for 42% of all transactions in 2023 by volume and 55% in terms of value. PE houses are keen to get back to business as usual and invest the funds that have built up in recent years.

Against this background, the M&A Summit will provide an invaluable opportunity to understand how you can capitalise on the anticipated surge in M&A activity. The event will have particular relevance to Heads of Acquisitions and Strategy in quoted companies as it features keynote addresses on the latest development in the City Code with James Arculus, Deputy Director General the Takeover Panel, the current and future merger regime with Joel Bamford, Director, Mergers, CMA as well as leading M&A practitioners in financial institutions and other professional advisers.

Agenda

Here's what's scheduled for the event. All times are in BST.

8:40 AM
Registration, networking & morning coffee
 
9:20 AM
Introduction

Maurice Button, CEO, City & Financial Global Ltd

9:25 AM
Chairman’s welcome

Will Pearce, Partner, Davis Polk

9:35 AM
Panel: The M&A outlook for the next 12 months: key drivers and deal trends, including cross-border activity, the energy transition and the role of private equity

Moderator:

Julie Shacklady, Director, Primary Markets and Corporate Finance, UK Finance

Panellists:

Chris Emmerson, Managing Director, Goldman Sachs International

David Petrie, Head of Corporate Finance ICAEW

Michael Nicholson, Head of Advisory & M&A, Peel Hunt

10:25 AM
Keynote Address I: An update on the application of the Takeover Code to public M&A

James Arculus, Deputy Director General, The Takeover Panel

10:45 AM
Panel: Future prospects for public to private transactions

Moderator:

Will Pearce, Partner, Davis Polk

Panellists:

Stuart Ord, Co-Head of M&A, Deutsche Numis

Alex Barr, Partner and Head, Sarasin Bread Street 

John McRoberts, Managing Partner, Aalto Capital LLP

11:25 AM
Networking & coffee break
 
11:50 AM
Achieving a successful exit through an auction in today’s market

Will Pearce, Partner, Davis Polk

Mimi Wang, Director, European M&A, Jefferies

12:30 PM
Fireside chat: The role of AI in the dealmaking and due diligence process

Patrick Sarch, Partner, Head of UK Public M&A, White & Case

in conversation with

Merlin Piscitelli, Chief Revenue Officer EMEA, Datasite

1:00 PM
Networking and lunch break
 
2:10 PM
Keynote address II: The CMA’s role in merger control, and how this has evolved over time to deliver growth for the UK

Joel Bamford, Executive Director, Mergers, Competition and Markets Authority

2:40 PM
Presentation: Merger control and national security enforcement – what to expect under the Labour Government

Nicholas Levy, Partner, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP

3:10 PM
Fireside chat: Successful deal execution: Handling “too close to call” deals

Patrick Sarch, Partner, Head of UK Public M&A, White & Case

In conversation with

Sonica Tolani, Partner, White & Case

3:40 PM
Fireside chat: ESG considerations in M&A

Hannah Elliott, Partner, Fox Williams

In conversation with

Katharina Dalka, CEO and Founder, Stellar One, Co-Founder and Chairwoman, DYDON AI

4:10 PM
Chair's closing remarks

Will Pearce, Partner, Davis Polk

4:15 PM
Networking & afternoon tea
 
4:40 PM
Close of proceedings
 

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