Agenda

8.30am Registration

9.15am Opening remarks

  • Kate Eades, partner, head of corporate deals and structuring, KPMG Law

9.25am When Payments Break M&A: Lessons on hidden deal killers & how to solve them

M&A transactions aren’t just about valuations, negotiations, and legal structures—they’re about getting the money from A to B, securely and on time. Yet, too often, the payments process is treated as an afterthought, leading to delays, regulatory hurdles, and last-minute deal collapses.

This panel will explore:

    • Real M&A Lessons – When payments complexity nearly killed a deal and what could have prevented it.
    • The End-to-End Payments Challenge – Why law firms and dealmakers need to rethink how they Verify, Hold, and Disburse funds in high-value transactions.
    • The Unseen Impact of Options – How option holders, legacy options, and complex payout structures are creating new financial risks in M&A.
    • Agility in Action – How payments infrastructure must be responsive, adaptable, and built to handle last-minute deal shifts.

Key Takeaway:
A deal isn’t done until the money moves. The industry needs to rethink how payments infrastructure can drive confidence, certainty, and deal agility—before issues arise.

  • Sophie Condie, chief executive officer, Shieldpay
  • Robert Ogilvy Watson, founding partner, Ogilvy Wachtel
  • Jacob J. Turner, associate, Baker McKenzie
  • Shawn Atkinson, partner, Orrick

10.15am W&I Insurance: Understanding the growing impact of Warranty & Indemnity insurance in M&A deals

A longstanding factor in private equity deals, W&I is now an increasing feature of M&A deals – find out how it’s changing the deal process.

  • Kate Eades, partner, head of corporate deals and structuring, KPMG Law
  • Charles Sunley, placement leader, senior vice president, Marsh
  • Will Slaiding, head of corporate, group legal, London Stock Exchange Group
  • Ross Lima, head of energy and infrastructure, EMEA, Lockton
  • Paul Kelly, partner – corporate deals & structuring, KPMG Law

11.05am Fireside Chat 1: Private Capital

Private capital might be sitting on trillions in dry powder but how and when are they planning to spend it, if at all? An overview of developments in the private capital market

  • Ceri-Ann McGraa, partner, Eversheds Sutherland
  • Nehzan Ekkeri, group legal counsel, Tech Universal Ventures
  • Jon Gill, partner, Eversheds Sutherland

11.35am Coffee Break

11.55am Defence Dynamics: Navigating Takeover Threats and Activist Challenges

In an increasingly complex and volatile market environment, public companies face ever-evolving challenges from takeover approaches and activist investors. This panel, led by Guy Potel of White & Case, will delve into effective strategies for dealing with approaches from potential bidders (welcome or not) and activist pressures. Discover the best practices in preparedness, explore defensive tactics, and gain insights from leading experts on how to safeguard your company’s interests in the face of potential threats. Join us for a robust discussion to equip you with the knowledge to effectively manage external pressures in the M&A landscape.

  • Guy Potel, M&A partner, White & Case
  • James Arculus, deputy director general, The Takeover Panel
  • Rupert Krefting, head of corporate finance and stewardship,  M&G
  • Sian Evans, managing director, Citi
  • Keiran Wilson, managing director (Global Technology), Lazard

12.45pm AI in the Due Diligence Process: How Technology is Shaping M&A

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to revolutionize M&A, significantly reshaping dealmaking and due diligence. This evolving technology is already bringing about greater efficiencies and productivity gains, including improving the accuracy and speed of due diligence, identifying partners, and recognizing risks. What more is in store? What challenges remain? And how do dealmakers achieve a balance between AI and human expertise? Gain insights from industry leaders on how AI is transforming the process and what this means for the future of M&A.

  • Sam Dormon, VP, Datasite
  • Tom Hartwright, corporate partner, Travers Smith
  • Jonny Bethell, corporate partner, Taylor Wessing
  • Thomas Maw, senior legal counsel – corporate and business affairs, DAZN

1.35pm Lunch

2.35pm Fireside Chat 2 M&A and Antitrust – Navigating the evolving merger control landscape

In this session Michael Engel, antitrust partner at White & Case and non-governmental adviser to the CMA, and Timothy Geer, director at the regulatory strategic advisory firm Fingleton and former director of mergers at the CMA, will explore the shifting dynamics of merger control enforcement and its implications for dealmakers. With new leadership at the CMA and the antitrust authorities in Brussels and Washington DC, M&A professionals need to be prepared for an evolving enforcement landscape and anticipate emerging challenges. The discussion will cover the expected agendas of these authorities and the latest trends in merger control enforcement, with a particular focus on how the CMA intends to support the UK government’s growth mission through its work. Dealmakers will gain critical insights into how these developments will influence deal planning, execution, and regulatory strategies, helping to ensure smoother M&A processes and more efficient deal approvals.

  • Michael Engel, partner, antitrust, White & Case
  • Timothy Geer, director, Fingleton

3.05pm Mitigating Risk in Unstable Times: How Alternative Banking and Payment Solutions Drive M&A Success

This panel will delve into the uncertainty and instability in today’s M&A landscape. Panellists will discuss how law firms and their clients can ensure transactional security, efficient deal completion, and mitigate risk. Attendees will gain practical insights into strategies that improve deal certainty and navigate the complexities of modern global M&A transactions.

  • Daniel Dunne, escrow specialist, Interpolitan Money
  •  Di Yu, M&A partner, White & Case
  •  Kim Pons, head of corporate and commercial, Britton & Time Solicitors
  •  James Lyons, corporate lawyer,  Lawrence Stephens

3.55pm Fireside Chat – The Team Behind the Deal: Legal Leadership in M&A

What does it take to build and lead a high-performing legal team in M&A? In this session, a former General Counsel turned executive coach shares behind-the-scenes insights on navigating complex deals, overcoming challenges, and developing the legal leadership skills needed to drive successful outcomes. From being involved from day one to withstanding the test of time in the post-completion phase, this discussion will provide strategies and real-life lessons learned on building the team that makes M&A happen.

  • Mila Trezza, executive coach and founder, Coaching Lawyers
  • Cameron Purse, editor,   Legal 500 – London Solicitors

4.25pm Closing remarks

  • Paul Kelly, partner – corporate deals & structuring, KPMG Law

4.30pm Drinks and canapes

5.30pm Event concludes