Ed Barnett is a partner in the Corporate Department of Latham & Watkins' London office and Global Vice Chair of the firm's Mergers & Acquisitions Practice. Mr. Barnett advises clients on a variety of cross-border M&A and corporate finance transactions, including public takeovers, takeover defence, joint ventures, and private company and business acquisitions and divestments, with a particular focus in consumer, technology, pharmaceuticals, and entertainment, media, and sports sectors. He also represents clients on company representation work, including advising on a range of corporate governance matters.
Mr. Barnett’s experience includes advising:
- NVIDIA on its US$40 billion acquisition of Arm Limited, the Cambridge-headquartered semiconductor and software design company, from SoftBank. The combination brings together NVIDIA’s leading AI computing platform with Arm’s vast ecosystem to create the premier computing company for the age of AI
- Stormlight Holdings (Silverstein family’s investment firm) in a significant investment into Swansea City Football Club
- NRG Energy on its US$3.625 billion acquisition of Direct Energy, a North American subsidiary of Centrica plc
- Venator Materials on its acquisition of European TiO2 paper laminates business (the "8120 Grade") of Tronox, a producer of titanium dioxide pigment
- Farfetch on its acquisition of certain operating assets of Style.com, an e-commerce fashion site
- GlaxoSmithKline plc on the Series A Preferred Share Financing for Sitryx Therapeutics Limited
- GlaxoSmithKline plc on the sale of the North American rights for Keri®, a provider of skin care products, to Crown Laboratories
- GlaxoSmithKline plc on the sale of its Prevacid®24HR business to Perrigo Company
- Farfetch on a joint venture to expand in the Middle East
- BDT Capital on its acquisition of Fox International
- SENT Entertainment Ltd on its acquisition of Como 1907, an Italy-based football club
- Cain International on its equity investment in Oasis BH, company that indirectly wholly owns the Beverly Hills Hilton and the Waldorf-Astoria Beverly Hills
- Israel Chemicals Limited on its US$1 billion sale of its fire safety and oil additives business units to SK Capital Partners
- KSL Capital on the acquisition by Apple Leisure Group, a portfolio company of KSL Capital Partners of Alua Hotels & Resorts
- TechnipFMC plc on its tax-free spin-off into two publicly traded companies
- On the proposed acquisition by Dana Incorporated of the driveline division of GKN plc
- The sellers on the disposal of Method and Ecover global consumer products businesses to US private company SC Johnson
- 888 Holdings plc on its aborted cash and share offer for bwin.party digital entertainment plc*
- 888 Holdings plc on its proposed acquisition by William Hill plc*
- Accenture on the acquisition of Nokia Siemens Newtorks’ IPTV business*
- Big Bus Tours shareholders on the sale to Exponent Private Equity*
- Coca-Cola Iberian Partners on its three-way merger with Coca-Cola Enterprises and Coca-Cola Erfrischungsgetränke, to form Coca-Cola European Partners*
- Facebook Inc. on its acquisitions of Monoidics Ltd, LiveWire, and other confidential M&A matters*
- Giant Network Technology Co. and other Chinese investors in connection with the acquisition of Playtika from Caesars Entertainment*
- GlaxoSmithKline plc on its disposal of Ribena and Lucozade drinks brand to Suntory Inc. of Japan*
- GlaxoSmithKline plc on its acquisition of Cellzone Ltd*
- Interwoven Corp on its acquisition by Autonomy plc*
- Kop Football Limited on the acquisition of Liverpool Football Club plc*
- Lloyds Banking Group on the disposal of De Vere Villages and Golf Resorts.
- Manchester United Football Club on corporate finance matters and significant commercial matters including its merchandising agreement with Adidas AG*
- Electronic Arts on its acquisitions of Playfish and Chillingo*
*Matter handled prior to joining Latham