Freshfields, Simpson Thacher, Vinge, Slaughter and May, White & Case, Linklaters and Clifford Chance are advising on EQT’s recommended cash offer for Intertek Group plc, valuing the company’s issued and to be issued share capital at approximately £9.5 billion and implying an enterprise value of approximately £10.9 billion, marking one of the largest takeovers in the UK this year and one of the latest in a series of private equity buyouts of London-listed businesses.

The acquisition is being made through Isotope Bidco Limited, a newly formed company majority owned by EQT. Intertek is a leading quality assurance provider with a network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices across more than 100 countries, delivering assurance, testing, inspection, and certification services worldwide.

Freshfields is advising Isotope Bidco Limited and EQT on the acquisition.

The Freshfields team is led by partners Victoria Sigeti, Piers Prichard Jones, Kate Cooper, Mark Brewer, Angus Scott and Lucy Cliff. Leveraged finance and capital markets partners Kate Hatcher, Haden Henderson, Carol van der Vorst and Catalina Ford are leading on debt finance matters and partner James Duncan is advising on hedging matters. Partner May Smith is advising on tax matters. Partners Alice Greenwell and Andrew Murphy are advising on employment and pensions matters.

Simpson Thacher is acting as regulatory counsel to the buyers.

The Simpson Thacher team includes partners Antonio Bavasso and Josh Buckland, advising on UK antitrust and foreign direct investment matters; partners Karen Kazmerzak and Kelly Kapetyan, advising on US antitrust matters; and partner Mark Skerry, advising on foreign investment regulation.

Vinge is also acting as regulatory counsel to the buyer consortium. The team was led by partner Sebastian Orndhal.

Slaughter and May is advising Intertek.

The Slaughter and May team includes corporate partners David Watkins and Natalie Cook, and competition partner William Turtle.

White & Case LLP has advised the mandated lead arrangers on the underwritten TLB and senior secured note financing for the recommended cash offer by funds advised by EQT and other co-investors.

The White & Case team which advised on the transaction was led by partners Gareth Eagles, Emma Foster and James Greene (all in London), and included partners Marcus Booth (Dubai) and Sonica Tolani (London), local partner Omar Anwar (Dubai), and associates Vic Sohal, Mark Oslizlok, Bridget Alexander and Rachel Chow (all in London).

Linklaters is acting as legal adviser to Luxinva, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. The team included Abu Dhabi partner Nicholas Edwards and London partner Richard Spedding.

Clifford Chance is advising Mubadala.