Transportation and Logistics

We advised ID Logistics, a European leader.... Read more

We advised ID Logistics, a European leader in contract logistics, on its acquisition of Spedimex, a major player in contract logistics in Poland.

The acquisition combines the companies’ complementary customer portfolios and technical expertise and supports the development of significant commercial synergies, in particular for leading international customers.

Lawyers in our Paris office led the transaction, with support from our Warsaw office and our antitrust, litigation, private equity, real estate, and tax practices.

We advised Léon Vincent Group, a global logistics company.... Read more

We advised Léon Vincent Group, a global logistics company, on its acquisition of a majority stake in Global Shipping Group S.p.A., an Italian company specializing in international transports and sea and air freight.

This transaction allows Léon Vincent Group to expand its operations in Southern Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East through a global presence in the main ports of the region.

Lawyers in our Paris office led the transaction, with support from our Milan, Rome, and Washington, D.C. offices and our banking, private equity, and tax practices.

We advised Rhenus Group, a leading global logistics specialist.... Read more

We advised Rhenus Group, a leading global logistics specialist, on its acquisition of BLU Logistics and on its acquisition of a majority stake in the LBH Group.   

The acquisitions enhance Rhenus’ service portfolio in Latin America, allowing the company to capitalize on the region’s growing, globally connected supply chains.

Lawyers in our Düsseldorf office led the transaction, with support from our Amsterdam, Beijing, Brussels, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Johannesburg, London, Mexico City, Milan, Munich, São Paulo, Singapore, Sydney, and Washington, D.C. offices and our antitrust, employment, intellectual property, litigation, real estate, regulatory, and tax practices.

We advised va-Q-tec AG, a leading provider of products.... Read more

We advised va-Q-tec AG, a leading provider of products and solutions in the field of thermal insulation and TempChain logistics, on its delisting and the public takeover offer by, and strategic partnership with, EQT Private Equity.

The transaction combines va-Q-tec’s pharmaceutical service and systems business with Envirotainer AB, an EQT majority-owned company and leader in air transport solutions for temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals. 

Lawyers in our Frankfurt office led the transaction, with support from our Düsseldorf and Munich offices and our antitrust, capital markets, corporate governance, securities, and tax practices.

Sector performance

In 2023, M&A activity in the transportation and logistics sector was propelled by energy transition, electric vehicle battery technology, advanced analytics and smart maintenance, and advanced air mobility. Ocean and air carriers looked to drive efficiency and scale their networks through acquisitions of freight forwarding, warehousing, and surface transportation providers.

Strategic investors continued to focus on assets, such as airports, rolling stock, logistics hubs, storage terminals, and ports. Businesses also looked to enhance global supply chains and increasingly invested in last-mile delivery capabilities.


Hogan Lovells activities

Our Transportation and Logistics team continued to expand its multimodal client service, advising on key sector topics, including uncrewed aircraft systems, rail, shipping, freight forwarding, mobility services, warehousing, and logistics, among others.

Recognized as thought leaders, our lawyers testified before the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology; partnered with clients to present at leading sector conferences, such as Autonomy Paris and UAV Expo; and hosted the Advanced Aviation Innovation Summit.

... focuses significantly on market thought leadership and engagement with the transportation and mobility ecosystem. It aims to understand fully what drives businesses in the sector forward ...”

Legal 500 US, 2023

150+

Transport and Logistics lawyers

Tier 1

Transport: Rail and Road –
Litigation and Regulation
Legal 500 US, 2023

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Technical Excellence

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M&A Year in Review

Expander

Dear Clients and Friends,

Welcome to the 10th edition of our Hogan Lovells M&A Year in Review! We created our M&A Year in Review to express our gratitude to you – our clients and friends – for the opportunity to work together and for the successes that we have shared. We hope you enjoy our review of dealmaking during 2023 and our projections for M&A during 2024.

Global M&A activity in 2023 slowed to a 10-year low. Aggregate deal volume decreased by 6%, to a three-year low, and aggregate deal value declined by 17%, marking the first time global deal value failed to reach US$3 trillion since 2013. 

A combination of factors led to this decline in dealmaking, including persistent inflation, heightened cost of capital, increased regulatory scrutiny, fears of recession, and conflicts in Europe and the Middle East.

During 2023, sponsor-related M&A experienced a significant downturn in both volume and value, with deal value falling 40% and deal volume down 26%. For strategic M&A, deal value declined by 3% from 2022, and the number of strategic deals declined 13% during the same period.

Sector activity varied widely during 2023. M&A in the energy and power sector propelled the conversion from traditional to clean energy, with transaction value exceeding more than US$500 billion and accounting for 17% of overall M&A value. The technology sector experienced a 47% decline in M&A value compared to 2022, as companies and investors pursued smaller transactions driven by technology imperatives. Life sciences and health care M&A remained vibrant in 2023, with deal value increasing by 23% compared to 2022 – a trend driven by high-value transactions in the biotech and pharmaceutical sectors.

Our M&A Group is grateful to have worked with you over the course of 2023. Your transactions propelled Hogan Lovells to more than 30 M&A league table rankings worldwide, including for Global M&A and across Europe, France, Germany, Italy, the Nordics, the United States, Latin America, Asia, Australia, and India.

For the year ahead, we forecast measured optimism for meaningful increases in deal value and deal volume, as set forth within our 2024 M&A Outlook.

We appreciate the trust that you continue to place in us, and we look forward to supporting you on your M&A transactions in the year ahead.

Best wishes for continuing success in 2024,

The Hogan Lovells M&A Group