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Buying and Selling Agencies

For over 50 years our corporate lawyers have been helping owners and senior management in marketing and communications agencies set-up, develop, grow and sometimes sell their agency businesses.

Our corporate experts advise on  shareholder and partnership agreements;  creating bespoke incentive arrangements for key employees; structuring debt and equity investments; setting up,  acquiring and selling businesses here in the UK and overseas. We advise some of the major agency networks on their acquisitions as well as regularly acting for agency owners selling their agencies. We have acted on sales to trade and financial buyers,listed companies on the London Stock Exchange and helped owners transfer their business into employee ownership.

 

Lewis Silkin Advertising & Marketing Buying and Selling Agencies

 

Our mergers and acquisitions lawyers are steeped in the advertising and marketing industry and as they regularly advise both buyers and sellers – know what it takes to negotiate on both sides of the table.  Our M&A teams comprise expert tax, real estate and employment lawyers meaning we give you peace of mind by taking full responsibility for all of the legal work required on a transaction. 

 

 

 

 

Mergers & Acquisitions in creative industries: grow your value

In a challenging economy and ever changing business landscape, M&A remains a strategic priority, helping creative companies to transform, grow and build a new foundation for their future success. In this mini-series we explore issues that can arise for both buyers and sellers when they enter into M&A deals in the advertising and marketing industry.

Click on the links below to explore each of the topics further:

1. Restrictive covenants

2. Earn-outs

3. Tax issues on earn-outs

4. EMI options

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In this article we explore the key issues around granting Enterprise Management Incentive (EMI) options, an extremely popular employee incentive mechanism for qualifying small and medium sized companies, thanks to their unrivalled tax benefits and the flexibility permitted around setting their terms.

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Lewis Silkin has advised Havas on its acquisition of a majority stake (51%) in Uncommon Creative Studio, the most awarded and fastest growing independent creative company in the UK

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Lewis Silkin have advised longstanding client, Havas, on its acquisition of a majority stake (51%) in Uncommon Creative Studio, the most awarded and fastest growing independent creative company in the UK, reinforcing Havas’ longstanding commitment to investing in creativity to develop meaningful brands. The Uncommon founders will retain a material stake in the business (49%), maintaining their entrepreneurial zest, growing their brand globally and sharing best practice across Havas and parent company Vivendi, a world leader in media, entertainment, and communication.

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Lewis Silkin has advised Publicis Groupe on the acquisition of marketing technology company Yieldify

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Restrictive covenants

Restrictive covenants

26 October 2022

In this article we explore restrictive covenants, what they are, their enforceability and their use in M&A deals in the advertising and marketing industry.

Tax

Tax issues on earn-outs

26 October 2022

Earn-outs are an extremely popular method of pricing businesses in the advertising and marketing sector.

digital document on a virtual

Earn-outs

26 October 2022

In this article we explore so called “earn-out” deals: what they are; why they are used in private M&A transactions in the advertising and marketing industry; and some of the issues that they pose for both buyers and sellers.

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