Linklaters has advised RENK on entering into a binding agreement for the acquisition of David Brown Defence. RENK is the Germany-based leading provider of propulsion solutions for the military sector. David Brown is based in the UK and specializes in high-precision gearboxes for the naval and land defence sectors.
The acquisition represents a strategically important addition to RENK’s existing portfolio in the naval sector. In particular, RENK is gaining access to high-value naval programs of the next few years and a long-term base of orders across the main naval programs in the UK, Canada and Australia, including aftermarket business opportunities. Furthermore, the acquisition will also enable RENK to tap into significant synergies at operational and technological levels. The transaction is subject to standard regulatory approvals and is scheduled for completion in Q4 2026.
An international cross-practice Linklaters team is advising RENK on this transaction. The team is led by Corporate/M&A Partners Richard Spedding and Klaus von der Linden and Managing Associates Lisa Gao and Karen Clarke.
The core team includes Partners Timo Engelhardt (Corporate/M&A), Natura Gracia (Antitrust and Foreign Investment), Chris Smale (Tax), Yohan Liyanage(IP), Managing Associates Karen Clarke (Infrastructure and Energy), Daniel Gloor (Corporate/M&A), Tom Parish (Tax), Balaji Subramanian (Antitrust and Foreign Investment), as well as Associates Stuart Blair, Mirco Schindler(Corporate/M&A), James Quirke (Antitrust and Foreign Investment).
Linklaters advises a wide range of clients in the aerospace, defence and security (ADS) sector, including major defence contractors, suppliers, investors and financial institutions, as well as companies and private equity firms entering this highly dynamic market. Most recently, our team advised Thyssenkrupp on the spin-off and IPO of Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, the investment banks on IPO of RENK Group AG, Safran.AI on the acquisition of technologies from Kayrros and Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG on forming a joint venture for drone defence with US-based Ondas.
