Mergers and Acquisitions

On June 4, 2025, Flowserve Corporation (“Flowserve”) and Chart Industries, Inc. (“Chart”) announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement to combine in an all-stock merger of equals, creating a differentiated leader in industrial process technologies. The combined company is expected to have an enterprise value of approximately $19 billion based on the exchange ratio and the closing share prices for Flowserve and Chart as of June 3, 2025. Under the agreement, which has been unanimously approved by the board of directors of each company, at the closing of the transaction Chart shareholders will receive 3.165 shares of Flowserve common stock for each share of Chart common stock owned. Following the close of the transaction, Flowserve shareholders will own approximately 46.5% and Chart shareholders will own approximately 53.5% of the combined company, on a fully diluted basis. Cravath is representing Flowserve in connection with the transaction.

On May 28, 2025, rhode, a fast‑growing, multi‑category lifestyle beauty brand founded by Hailey Bieber, and e.l.f. Beauty announced they have signed a definitive agreement for e.l.f. Beauty to acquire rhode. The $1 billion deal is comprised of $800 million of consideration payable at closing in a combination of cash and stock, subject to customary adjustments, and an additional potential earnout consideration of $200 million based on the future growth of the brand over a three‑year timeframe. Hailey Bieber will continue her role as Founder and additionally serve as rhode’s Chief Creative Officer and Head of Innovation, overseeing creative, product innovation and marketing. She will also act as a Strategic Advisor to the combined companies. Cravath is representing Hailey Bieber in connection with the transaction.

On May 25, 2025, WiseTech Global, developer of leading logistics execution software CargoWise, announced it has entered into a binding agreement to acquire E2open Parent Holdings, Inc. (“e2open”), a U.S.‑based leading provider of SaaS solutions in the global logistics value chain, for $3.30 per share in cash equating to an enterprise value of $2.1 billion. Cravath is representing WiseTech Global in connection with the transaction.

On May 15, 2025, the boards of Greencore Group plc (“Greencore”), a leading manufacturer of convenience foods in the UK, and Bakkavor Group Plc (“Bakkavor”), a leading provider of fresh prepared food in the UK, announced that they have agreed the terms of a recommended acquisition of Bakkavor by Greencore at a base consideration which values each Bakkavor share at 200 pence, which implies Bakkavor’s entire issued and to be issued share capital is valued at approximately £1.2 billion. Under the terms of the transaction, Bakkavor shareholders will be entitled to (for each Bakkavor share): 0.604 new Greencore shares, 85 pence in cash and one contingent value right. Cravath is representing Greencore as U.S. counsel in connection with the transaction.

On May 9, 2025, TaskUs, Inc. (“TaskUs”), a leading provider of outsourced digital services and next‑generation customer experience to companies, announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to become a privately held company. Under the terms of the agreement, an affiliate of Blackstone, TaskUs Co‑Founder and Chief Executive Officer Bryce Maddock and TaskUs Co‑Founder and President Jaspar Weir (collectively the “Buyer Group”) will acquire 100% of the outstanding shares of Class A common stock they do not already own for $16.50 per share in an all-cash transaction. Upon completion of the transaction, the Company’s Class A common stock will no longer be listed on any public market. The TaskUs Board of Directors has approved the transaction upon the unanimous recommendation of a special committee of independent directors (the “Special Committee”), which was formed on March 20, 2025, in response to interest expressed by the Buyer Group in exploring a possible transaction. Cravath is representing the Special Committee in connection with the transaction.

The 2025 edition of Chambers USA ranked Cravath in the top tier nationally in seven areas: Antitrust; Capital Markets (Investment Grade Debt – Issuer Counsel); Capital Markets (Investment Grade Debt – Manager Counsel); Corporate/M&A (The Elite); Securities (Litigation); Securities (Regulation – Advisory); and Tax (Corporate & Finance). In New York, the Firm was ranked in the top tier in eight areas: Antitrust; Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Highly Regarded); Corporate/M&A (The Elite); Environment (Mainly Transactional); Litigation (General Commercial: The Elite); Litigation (Securities); Media & Entertainment (Corporate); and Tax. Fifty‑four Cravath lawyers were ranked across 23 practice categories.

On June 5, 2025, Cravath partner Ting S. Chen participated in the International Bar Association’s 22nd Annual International Mergers & Acquisitions Conference, which was held from June 4‑5, 2025, in New York. The event convened global practitioners to discuss topics in international M&A law such as geopolitics, competition policy and M&A; private equity dealmaking; and governance, stewardship and activism. Ting spoke on a panel entitled “Developments in Public Company M&A and Securities Law,” which examined the evolving landscape of public M&A around the world.

Cravath partner David J. Kappos, of counsel Kathryn‑Ann Stamm and associate Vincent Joralemon co‑authored an article entitled “Non‑Disclosure Agreements Shield Buyers and Sellers in M&A Deals,” which was published in Bloomberg Law on May 29, 2025. The article, which reviews recent court decisions regarding the enforcement of non‑disclosure agreements (“NDAs”), provides an overview of how NDAs protect both buyers and sellers in all types of strategic transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, the clear parameters that must be established to ensure NDA enforceability and the rights, responsibilities and available remedies for the parties involved.

On May 16, 2025, Cravath partners Ron Creamer, Lauren Angelilli, J. Leonard Teti II, Christopher K. Fargo, Andrew T. Davis and Arvind Ravichandran were named to Lawdragon’s inaugural list of “500 Leading Global Tax Lawyers” in recognition of their work advising clients on the “tax aspects of M&A and other complex transactions.” The list highlights “outstanding leaders” who “preserve the balance between tax responsibilities and fiscal soundness on a global scale.” 

On May 12, 2025, Cravath published the latest edition of its Quarterly Review, which has been redesigned for the Q1 2025 edition to provide greater insight into practical points, key takeaways and relevant developments across the M&A, activism, tax, regulatory and corporate governance landscape. This edition covers: