The Guardian M&A

MAY 24, 2023

CMA says it is defending cloud gaming market, but Microsoft says moves ‘discourages tech innovation and investment’ in UK Microsoft has filed an appeal against the UK competition watchdog’s decision to block its $69bn (£56bn) acquisition of the Call of Duty creator Activision Blizzard.

Marketability 60

Marketability Mergers & Acquisitions Technology 60

The Guardian M&A

APRIL 26, 2023

CMA surprised sector by saying deal would give Seattle firm undue power to shape cloud gaming Microsoft’s attempted acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the development conglomerate behind games including Call of Duty, World of Warcraft and Candy Crush Saga, has been blocked by the UK’s competition watchdog in a surprise move.

Mergers & Acquisitions 67

Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Marketability 67

Benzinga

APRIL 26, 2023

billion proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard Inc. “Microsoft has a strong position in cloud gaming services and the evidence available to the CMA showed that Microsoft would find it commercially beneficial to make Activision’s games exclusive to its own cloud gaming service,” the CMA said in a press release.

Marketability 52

Marketability Technology 52

The Guardian M&A

MAY 3, 2023

Sign up here As is now tradition, an enormous piece of gaming news landed right after last week’s Pushing Buttons went out to readers: Microsoft’s huge $70bn purchase of Call of Duty, World of Warcraft and Candy Crush owner Activision Blizzard, a deal that has been in the works since January last year , was unexpectedly blocked by a UK regulator.

Technology 69

Technology 69

Benzinga

MAY 24, 2022

New York, May 24, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Proactive, provider of real-time news and video interviews on growth companies listed in the US and Canada, has covered the following companies: Activision Blizzard workers vote to unionise click here .

Technology 40

Technology 40

The Guardian M&A

APRIL 27, 2023

Tech giant president issues stinging attack over blocking of $69bn takeover of Activision Blizzard Microsoft’s president said the EU is a better place to start a business than Britain post-Brexit, as he launched a stinging attack on the UK’s decision to block a $69bn (£55bn) deal to takeover Activision Blizzard.

Marketability 76

Marketability Mergers & Acquisitions Technology 76

Law 360 M&A

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

billion takeover bid for Activision Blizzard, finding that the U.S. technology giant's amended proposal to sell off Activision streaming rights has allayed antitrust concerns. The Competition and Markets Authority gave a provisional green light on Friday to Microsoft's revised $68.7

Technology 52

Technology Marketability 52

The Guardian M&A

MAY 16, 2023

Speaking to MPs on the business and trade select committee, Sarah Cardell, the chief executive of the Competition and Markets Authority, said the body only acts on its own assessment of the validity of a merger.

Marketability 63

Marketability Technology 63

NYT M&A

NOVEMBER 21, 2022

Microsoft’s $69 billion deal for Activision Blizzard, which is undergoing reviews in 16 countries, has become a test for whether tech giants can buy companies amid a backlash.

Mergers & Acquisitions 75

Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Marketability 75

Financial Analyst Insider

JUNE 29, 2022

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick co-created The Call of Duty Endowment — which takes its name from one of the company’s most popular video game. The post Activision CEO Bobby Kotick’s Call of Duty Endowment Is Breaking Records appeared first on Financial Analyst Insider.

Technology 52

Technology 52

The Guardian M&A

JANUARY 19, 2022

That could be the consequence of Microsoft’s proposed $68.7bn (£50.4bn) acquisition of Activision Blizzard , the video games maker behind the shoot ’em up franchise. Announcing the deal, Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s chief executive, said that gaming would “play a key role in the development of metaverse platforms”.

Technology 90

Technology 90

Reynolds Holding

OCTOBER 19, 2023

First, cloud computing technology has become so ubiquitous that few firms operate without some level of reliance on cloud-based infrastructure for data storage and management. Finally, these cloud companies have moved into the gaming market through the acquisition of gaming-technology companies. See Dirk A. Zetzsche et. 272 (2020). [13]

Banking 72

Banking B2B Finance Technology 72

Reynolds Holding

NOVEMBER 14, 2023

a global technology company, agreed to pay a $75 million civil penalty to resolve charges arising out of an alleged bribery scheme. Kandi Technologies Group, Inc., To settle the charges, GSAM agreed to pay a $4 million penalty; and Charges against video game developer Activision Blizzard Inc. Fluor agreed to pay a $14.5

Marketability 45

Marketability Finance Private Equity Firm Compliance 45

NYT M&A

JUNE 28, 2023

In federal court, Satya Nadella and Bobby Kotick opposed an attempt by the F.T.C. to delay Microsoft’s $70 billion acquisition of a video game giant.

Mergers & Acquisitions 74

Mergers & Acquisitions Technology 74

Cooley M&A

JANUARY 20, 2022

With increasing focus on ESG matters, 2021 was an open window of opportunity for dealmaking in the ESG technology subindustry. ESG was front and center for investors as well, with the number of environmental and social shareholder proposals receiving majority support in 2021’s proxy season nearly doubling compared to 2020. billion.

Private Equity Firm 40

Private Equity Firm eCommerce Equity Marketability 40

Reynolds Holding

APRIL 10, 2023

Companies may want to “consider how they might adapt existing or emerging technologies. For example, Enforcement brought charges regarding control violations against GE (see this PubCo post ), HP, Inc. A cross-functional team can be a “valuable early step to start the integration process.”

Compliance 45

Compliance Going Concern Value Start-ups Finance 45

Cooley M&A

FEBRUARY 1, 2024

Global regulators continue to be aggressive Despite some high profile wins in 2023 (including Microsoft/Activision and Broadcom/VMware winning clearance for their mega-deals), tech dealmakers continue to face a challenging regulatory environment in the US and globally, creating a significant headwind for M&A.

Equity 59

Equity Finance Marketability Start-ups 59

Reynolds Holding

OCTOBER 24, 2023

2] Studies also show that only a small percentage of Americans have any significant level of confidence in banks, technology companies, or big business. [3] From Congress to law enforcement to the courts, these levels are at, or below, historic lows. [2] Shaw with Violating Whistleblower Protection Rule” (Sept.

Compliance 40

Compliance Accounting Firms Start-ups Marketability 40

Cooley M&A

JANUARY 25, 2023

The year started off with a bang, with mega-deals such as Microsoft’s pending $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Elon Musk’s $44 billion acquisition of Twitter and Broadcom’s pending $61 billion acquisition of VMware inked in quick succession. Tech M&A in 2022 was a tale of two halves.

Equity 52

Equity Finance Marketability Start-ups 52

Reynolds Holding

JULY 26, 2023

13] For example, in the recent Activision Blizzard Inc. settlement, the SEC leveraged the Exchange Act’s requirement to have “disclosure controls and procedures” to criticize a company for its poor response to workplace misconduct. See also Comment Letter from Bank Policy Institute et al. (“BPI BPI et al.”)

Compliance 40

Compliance Corporate Finance Finance Marketability 40

Reynolds Holding

FEBRUARY 1, 2023

billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard and Kroger’s $24.6 Consistent with trends in recent years, technology transactions continued to play a significant role in the M&A story in 2022, with tech deals responsible for approximately 20% and 32% of overall global deal volume and U.S. billion purchase of Albertsons.

Finance 45

Finance Equity Technology Banking 45

Reynolds Holding

MARCH 27, 2023

For the second year in a row, the “Electronic Technology and Technology Services” and “Health Technology and Services” sectors represented over half of all filings (54%). Activision Blizzard, Inc., 18, 2022) : In this action, plaintiffs alleged that Activision Blizzard, Inc. Align Technology, Inc. ,39

Technology 59

Technology Start-ups Compliance Finance 59

Reynolds Holding

AUGUST 29, 2022

The Executive Order highlighted several particular sectors of concern (namely agriculture, information technology, healthcare and prescription drugs, telecommunications, and labor, including a focus on non-compete provisions that impact workers), but the call for stronger antitrust enforcement was economy-wide. are strongly enforced.

Compliance 45

Compliance Private Equity Firm Equity Marketability 45