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EU: Failed postal merger causes political spat in Belgium

 |  May 30, 2016

Belgian postal service Bpost and Dutch rival PostNL on Sunday said they had been in merger talks but that negotiations ended without an agreement.

Bpost had made a friendly offer for all the shares of PostNL, but “these negotiations have, in the end, not led to agreement on the terms of such a transaction,” the companies said in similar statements on their respective websites.

Trading in shares of both companies was halted on Friday, following Belgian media reports that Bpost had submitted the offer to acquire its Dutch competitor. Spokespeople for the companies on Friday had neither confirmed nor denied the talks and said only that they would issue a statement before the market opens on Monday.

The postal sector in Europe is suffering from declining mail volumes, though it is experiencing rapid growth in parcel delivery, as more customers shop for goods online. PostNL says it is the leading mail and parcels company in the Benelux—Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Both companies operate in countries across Europe, North America and Asia.

Bpost has a market capitalization of around 4.87 billion euros, nearly three times PostNL’s market cap of around €1.7 billion.

Full Content: The Wall Street Journal

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Top Antitrust Expert Joins Cravath from Paul Weiss Top Antitrust Expert Finch Joins Cravath from Paul Weiss

Top Antitrust Expert Joins Cravath from Paul Weiss

 |  January 21, 2025

Andrew Finch, a prominent figure in U.S. antitrust law and former top official at the Justice Department during the first Donald Trump administration, has made the move to Cravath, Swaine & Moore from rival firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. Finch, who most recently co-chaired the antitrust practice at Paul Weiss, is set to join Cravath’s litigation department as a partner in New York.

According to Reuters, Finch’s tenure at the Justice Department, where he served as principal deputy assistant attorney general and acting assistant attorney general in the antitrust division between 2017 and 2019, underscores his expertise in the field. His work in government, alongside his clients at Paul Weiss, including Spirit Airlines, Uber, and Mastercard, makes him a valuable addition to Cravath’s team. At Cravath, Finch will focus on advising clients on antitrust investigations, litigation, and merger reviews, according to the firm’s announcement.

In a statement, Faiza Saeed, Cravath’s presiding partner, highlighted Finch’s credentials, noting that his experience “will be invaluable to our clients as they navigate an increasingly complex regulatory environment.” Saeed’s comments reflect the growing demand for expert guidance in the fast-evolving antitrust landscape.

The news of Finch’s departure from Paul Weiss comes just after the inauguration of President Donald Trump for his second term, a timing that adds another layer of significance to the move. A Paul Weiss spokesperson expressed well wishes to Finch, acknowledging his contributions to the firm.

Cravath’s decision to bring Finch aboard is part of a broader trend where the firm, historically known for promoting from within, has increasingly looked outside for top-tier talent. In recent years, Cravath has recruited several former government officials, including a trio of regulatory experts in 2022 to open a new office in Washington, D.C. This follows the 2022 hire of Noah Phillips, a former commissioner at the U.S. Federal Trade Commission during the Trump administration, who now co-chairs Cravath’s antitrust practice alongside Christine Varney, a former U.S. assistant attorney general for antitrust under the Obama administration.

Source: Reuters