Magic circle firms Slaughter and May and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s instruction on German industrial gas company Linde’s approach for UK rival BOC reached a conclusion last week as an £8.2bn takeover agreement was struck.
Slaughters advised regular client BOC, led by corporate partner Frances Murphy, who has represented the FTSE 100 industrial conglomerate for about 10 years, including on its £7.2bn takeover bid by Air Liquide and Air Products in 1999. Freshfields advised Linde, led by German corporate partner Axel Epe, UK corporate partner Gareth Stephenson and corporate finance head Barry O’Brien.
