The Council Directive of 21 April 2004 on takeover bids sets forth the general principles applicable to takeover bids and clarifies certain minimum rules with respect to the procedure for a takeover bid, the obligation to make a mandatory bid in the event a minimum threshold is crossed and the majority shareholder's squeeze-out right as well as the minority shareholders' sell-out right. Furthermore, the Directive defines the authority which is competent to approve offer documents and supervise takeover bids, and provides for optional restrictions on the actions of the target company's management and on defence mechanisms. This book discusses the Takeover Directive and its implementing rules in each Member State of the European Union and the European Economic Area, providing companies and their advisors with useful insight into the legal framework and principles applicable to takeover bids in the region.

The Council Directive of 21 April 2004 on takeover bids sets forth the general principles applicable to takeover bids and clarifies certain minimum rules with respect to the procedure for a takeover bid, the obligation to make a mandatory bid in the event a minimum threshold is crossed and the majority shareholder's squeeze-out right as well as the minority shareholders' sell-out right. Furthermore, the Directive defines the authority which is competent to approve offer documents and supervise takeover bids, and provides for optional restrictions on the actions of the target company's management and on defence mechanisms. This book discusses the Takeover Directive and its implementing rules in each Member State of the European Union and the European Economic Area, providing companies and their advisors with useful insight into the legal framework and principles applicable to takeover bids in the region.

Since the implementation of the European Directive on Takeover Bids, a European common legal framework governs regulation of takeovers in EU Members States. This book studies the European Community Directive on Takeover Bids, first from a British perspective, but also considers the Directive in relation to the EU.

Takeovers are an exceptional event in the life of a corporation, fundamentally altering both control and strategy. But the prospect of becoming the target of a bid, even when remote, influences daily corporate decision-making. Takeover rules are therefore central to company law and the balance of power among managers, shareholders and stakeholders alike. To what extent is it possible to balance an active market for corporate control with long-term, firm-specific investments? This book is an abridged version of a comprehensive study carried out by the law firm Marccus Partners and the Centre for European Policy Studies for the European Commission and supplemented by additional policy recommendations. The study analyses the corporate governance considerations driving takeover regulation. It also assesses the implementation of the EU Directive on takeover bids and compares it with the legal framework of nine other major jurisdictions, including the United States. The authors find that similar rules have different effects, depending on company-level and country-level characteristics, and examine the use of modular legislation and optional provisions to cater for these differences. Offering the reader a unique and thorough legal review, this book draws on the work of a global network of law firms and an in-depth economic study, including a survey of the relevant academic literature and an empirical analysis based on a comprehensive dataset on takeovers in Europe dating back to the early 2000s. An analysis of the impact of takeover rules on competitiveness and employment is also provided. Book jacket.

This discussion of the Cross-Border Merger Directive and its implementing legislation in each Member State of the European Union and the European Economic Area provides companies and their advisors with useful insight into the legal framework applicable to, and the tax treatment of, cross-border mergers throughout the European Economic Area. Analysis of the Community rules laid down in the Cross-Border Merger Directive and the Community rules on the tax treatment of cross-border mergers is complemented by chapters on the implementing legislation in each Member State, prepared in accordance with a common format and contributed by a practitioner from each state. Annexes contain the Cross-Border Merger Directive (Annex I), the Parent-Subsidiary Directive (Annex II) and a list of the implementing legislation in each Member State (Annex III).

Regulatory and market developments have transformed the way in which UK private sector pension schemes operate. This has increased demands on trustees and advisors and the trusteeship governance model must evolve in order to remain fit for purpose. This volume brings together leading practitioners to provide an overview of what today constitutes good governance for pension schemes, from both a legal and a practical perspective. It provides the reader with an appreciation of the distinctive characteristics of UK occupational pension schemes, how they sit within the capital markets and their social and fiduciary responsibilities. Providing a holistic analysis of pension risk, both from the trustee and the corporate perspective, the essays cover the crucial role of the employer covenant, financing and investment risk, developments in longevity risk hedging and insurance de-risking, and best practice scheme administration.

The Energy Charter Treaty has come of age, with almost 50 States parties and a small but growing body of arbitral case law. In this new study of the Treaty's investment protection provisions, Thomas Roe and Matthew Happold set out to identify and explain the Treaty's principal provisions and to suggest answers to some of the difficult problems thrown up by its drafting. They discuss in detail questions such as the standards of protection granted by the Treaty and the international responsibility of States for breaches of the Treaty, the various procedures available for the vindication of rights under the Treaty and the conditions to be satisfied before a claimant's complaint may be considered on the merits. Specific issues addressed include the impact of EU law on claims under the Treaty and the Treaty's provisions concerning taxation.

This discussion of the Cross-Border Merger Directive and its implementing legislation in each Member State of the European Union and the European Economic Area provides companies and their advisors with useful insight into the legal framework applicable to, and the tax treatment of, cross-border mergers throughout the European Economic Area. Analysis of the Community rules laid down in the Cross-Border Merger Directive and the Community rules on the tax treatment of cross-border mergers is complemented by chapters on the implementing legislation in each Member State, prepared in accordance with a common format and contributed by a practitioner from each state. Annexes contain the Cross-Border Merger Directive (Annex I), the Parent-Subsidiary Directive (Annex II) and a list of the implementing legislation in each Member State (Annex III).

This overview of a complex and often misunderstood subject takes the reader through the issues that are faced throughout the life cycle of a private equity investment, from the identification of an opportunity, through the various stages of the transaction and the lifetime of the investment, to the eventual exit by the investor. The analysis of key documentation and legal issues covers company law, employment law, pensions, taxation, debt funding and competition law, taking into account recent legal developments such as the Companies Act 2006, the recent emergence of private equity in the UK and the challenges faced by the industry as a result of the financial crisis.

Analysing the Takeover Bid Directive in light of EU Law, this important monograph examines the extent to which the Directive facilitates the exercise of the fundamental freedom of establishment and the free movement of capital in the internal market. The analysis begins with a discussion of the fundamental freedom of establishment of companies, as well as of the legal bases for the harmonization of company law and capital markets law at the EU level. Additionally, the significance of corporate mobility and of the freedom of establishment case law of the European Court of Justice for the takeover process is analysed. The author shows that, far from achieving market integration in the field of EU company law, the Takeover Bid Directive is a compromise resulting from the very different legal and policy approaches of the Member States in the field of takeover regulation. Although some provisions of the Directive are obligatory for all Member States, two key provisions have been made optional: the non-frustration rule, which requires a board of directors to obtain the prior authorization of a general meeting of shareholders before taking any action that could result in the frustration of the bid; and the breakthrough rule, which restricts significant transfer and voting rights during the time allowed for acceptance of the bid.