We regularly act as Maltese counsel for Fortune 500 companies, advising on international merger and acquisition transactions, tender offers, corporate restructuring, transfers of business, spin-offs and leveraged buy-out transactions, and capital market transactions. The firm is geared to assist buyers, sellers, investors, investment banks, commercial banks, private equity and venture capital funds, institutional lenders, and management groups.

Mergers & Acquisitions

GVZH Advocates has been involved in several cross-border merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions, tender offers, corporate restructurings, transfers of business, spin-offs and leveraged buy-out transactions, with a particular focus on Malta-based entities forming part of multi-national business groups, both regulated and unregulated. We are geared to assist sellers, buyers, investors, investment banks, commercial banks, private equity and venture capital funds, institutional lenders, and management groups.

The firm regularly advises on the structuring of various takeover defence mechanisms available under Maltese law for its corporate clients, including the adoption of effective shareholder agreements and special provisions in the company’s Memorandum and Articles of Association, covering minority protection mechanisms, creation of distinct share classes, “poison pills” and similar devices.

The multi-faceted nature of such transactions, and the due diligence exercises undertaken before any binding offers are made, has seen the firm co-ordinating matters with other professional advisors, all experts in their respective fields, to effectively deal with environmental and planning issues, intellectual property rights, labour and employment matters, tax issues and regulatory concerns, ensuring that all potential risk areas are covered. GVZH Advocates has an established professional rapport with key persons within these practice areas to obtain the necessary input in the context of such transactions, providing its clients with the crucial information necessary to gauge and assess the associated risks.