Leading international law firm Herbert Smith Freehills has advised UBS Switzerland AG, as the lender, on the financing for SIX Exchange Group AG’s (SIX) proposed acquisition of Aquis Exchange Plc (Aquis). SIX operates a fully integrated exchange value chain across the Swiss and Spanish financial centres and offers a diversified product portfolio for securities trading, stock market transactions, financial information and payment transactions across multiple geographies. Founded in 2012, Aquis is Europe’s challenger next generation exchange and operates the Aquis Stock Exchange in the UK. SIX considers the acquisition of Aquis to be a compelling strategic opportunity which will complement its growth strategy, and expects both businesses to benefit from greater pan-European scale, driving growth opportunities beyond their respective home markets to the benefit of customers and market participants.
The Herbert Smith Freehills team was led by partner Will Nevin, supported by senior associate Siqi Geng.
Partner Will Nevin comments: “We are delighted to have advised UBS as arranger and lender on this significant takeover financing. It has enabled us to combine the firm’s public takeover expertise with our strong lender side acquisition finance practice and knowledge of the FIG space.  This has been a very collaborative process and we look forward to continue supporting SIX on its growth strategy”.
