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.
James ArculusDeputy Director General
The Takeover Panel
Joel BamfordExecutive Director, Mergers
Competition and Markets Authority
Chris EmmersonManaging Director
Goldman Sachs International
Will PearcePartner
Davis Polk
David PetrieHead of Corporate Finance
ICAEW
Michael NicholsonHead of Advisory & M&A
Peel Hunt
Julie ShackladyDirector, Primary Markets and Corporate Finance
UK Finance
Patrick SarchPartner, Head of UK Public M&A
White & Case
Sonica TolaniPartner
White & Case
Nicholas LevyPartner
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP
Katharina DalkaCEO and Founder, Stellar One, Co-Founder and Chairwoman, DYDON AI
Alex BarrPartner and Head
Sarasin Bread Street
John McRobertsManaging Partner
Aalto Capital LLP
Merlin PiscitelliChief Revenue Officer EMEA
Datasite
Hannah ElliottPartner
Fox Williams
Stuart OrdCo-Head of M&A
Deutsche Numis
Mimi WangDirector, European M&A
Jefferies
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 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||




