Agenda

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

8:30 AM
Registration, networking & morning coffee
 
9:05 AM
Chairman’s introduction

Will Pearce, Partner, Davis Polk 

9:10 AM
Panel Session: The global M&A outlook for 2027: is the recovery becoming a sustained cycle
  • The UK as a destination for international capital
  • The outlook for UK and cross-border deal activity
  • Geopolitical uncertainty, tariffs and macroeconomic risks
  • The impact of interest rates, inflation and financing markets
  • Sector hotspots including technology, infrastructure, healthcare, financial services and energy transition
  • Strategic buyers versus financial sponsors
  • How AI is reshaping corporate acquisition strategies

Panellists

Chris Emmerson, Managing Director, Goldman Sachs

Gary Weiss, Chairman of EMEA M&A, Bank of America

10:00 AM
Keynote Address I: The Takeover Panel’s approach one year on from the reforms
  • Practical experience of the revised Takeover Code
  • Recent Panel decisions and emerging practice
  • Developments in offer timetables and deal certainty
  • Current consultation priorities and future direction of travel

Derek Shakespeare, Director General, The Takeover Panel 

10:20 AM
Panel Discussion: Public M&A in 2026: New structures, shareholder expectations and execution risk
  • Continuing growth in UK public-to-private transactions
  • Competing bidders and auction processes
  • Stub equity and alternative forms of consideration
  • Minority shareholder protections
  • Break fees, irrevocable undertakings and deal protection measures
  • Increasing activism and its impact on transactions
  • Lessons from recent contested bids

Panellists

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

Harrison George, Director, UK Investment Banking, Evercore 

11:05 AM
Networking & coffee break
 
11:30 AM
Keynote Address II: Merger control: the new enforcement landscape
  • Latest developments at the CMA
  • The interaction between UK, EU and US merger control
  • Digital markets and technology transactions
  • Remedies, behavioural commitments and conditional approvals
  • Practical lessons from recent cases

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

11:50 AM
Panel discussion: Navigating global regulatory approvals
  • Coordinating multi-jurisdictional merger control reviews
  • Foreign direct investment screening across major jurisdictions
  • National security reviews
  • Regulatory timetables and transaction planning
  • Managing execution risk in cross-border deals
12:30 PM
Presentation: Latest developments in FDI and the National Security and Investment Act
  • Recent NSIA developments
  • Government policy priorities
  • Current notification trends
  • Lessons from recent interventions
  • Practical guidance for dealmakers
  • Developments in overseas investment screening regimes

John Messent, Partner, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP 

12:55 PM
Fireside chat: Governance, stewardship and shareholder engagement in today’s M&A markets
  • How institutional investors assess transactions
  • Board decision-making under increased scrutiny
  • ESG considerations after the shift towards value creation
  • The evolving role of stewardship
  • Proxy advisers and shareholder communications

In conversation with

Chris Kinder, Chief Executive, The Investor Forum

Michael Stiasny, Head of UK Equities, M&G 

1:15 PM
Networking & lunch break
 
2:15 PM
Presentation: The role of AI in streamlining the dealmaking and due diligence process
 
2:40 PM
Panel Session: Private M&A: The next phase of dealmaking
  • Growth in sponsor-backed transactions
  • Corporate carve-outs and portfolio optimisation
  • Warranty and indemnity insurance developments
  • Earn-outs, deferred consideration and valuation mechanisms
  • Managing execution in competitive auction processes
3:25 PM
Panel Session: Private Equity: Exits, liquidity and value creation
  • IPO markets: are they finally reopening?
  • Trade sales versus sponsor-to-sponsor exits
  • Continuation vehicles and secondary transactions
  • Minority investments and partial exits
  • Portfolio company preparation for sale
  • Creating value in longer holding periods

Moderator

Gordon Milne, Partner, Davis Polk 

4:10 PM
Chair’s closing remarks

Will Pearce, Partner, Davis Polk

4:15 PM
Afternoon tea and networking
 

Join industry leaders, innovators, and peers at our upcoming conference. 

  • Gain expertise: Learn from top speakers through keynotes, panels, and workshops with actionable strategies.
  • Expand your network: Meet professionals, decision-makers, and innovators to spark valuable collaborations.
  • Access exclusives: Enjoy sessions and resources available only to registered attendees.
Register Now

Why attend?

What sets this event apart?

  • This event should be attended by M&A practitioners in banks, corporates, private equity and private credit, finance directors, heads of strategy, general counsel, heads of legal and company secretaries. It will also be of interest to institutional investors, M&A and competition lawyers in private practice, specialist accountants, corporate brokers and other relevant advisors. 
  • Gain exclusive insights from leading experts and return with practical strategies you can put into action today.
  • Build valuable connections with peers and innovators to accelerate your professional growth and discover emerging trends shaping your industry’s future.
Register now

Sponsors

Premier Sponsor

Logo for Davis Polk

Sponsor

Logo for Cleary Gottlieb

Get Involved

Interested in Sponsoring?

Position your organization at the forefront of this high-profile event by becoming a sponsor. Sponsorship provides a platform to engage with senior professionals, thought leaders, and key decision-makers, offering meaningful exposure while reinforcing your brand’s reputation for excellence.

Showcase your expertise, build valuable relationships, and play a central role in an event that celebrates achievement and drives innovation.

View Sponsorship Packages
Contact Us