Francesca Storey-Harris, Aprajita Dhundia, David Higgins, Chris Weale, Sam Salt, Joe Timmins, Dan Sarkin, Seth Traxler, Rory Wellever, Michael James
January 23, 2026
Kirkland Advises Blackstone on Revised Recommended Cash Acquisition of Hipgnosis

1 min
AI-made summary
- Kirkland & Ellis is advising Lyra Bidco Limited, a company indirectly owned by Blackstone Inc
- affiliates, on its revised recommended cash acquisition of Hipgnosis
- The UK Panel on Takeovers and Mergers has approved the acquisition to proceed via a scheme of arrangement under Companies Law
- The revised offer values Hipgnosis at approximately $1,584 million, reflecting a $0.01 per share increase due to lower adviser fees than previously anticipated.
Kirkland & Ellis is advising Lyra Bidco Limited (Bidco), a newly-formed company indirectly wholly-owned by investment funds advised by affiliates of Blackstone Inc., on the revised recommended cash acquisition by Bidco of the entire issued, and to be issued, ordinary share capital of Hipgnosis. The Panel on Takeovers and Mergers has granted its consent under Section 8 of Appendix 7 of the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers for the acquisition to be implemented by way of a scheme of arrangement under Part VIII of the Companies Law. The revised offer values Hipgnosis' entire issued, and to be issued, ordinary share capital at approximately $1,584 million (which is equivalent to £1,272 million based on the Announcement Exchange Rate). The increase of $0.01 per Hipgnosis share from the acquisition price to the revised offer price has come about as a result of discussions between the Hipgnosis Board, Bidco Board and their respective advisers and in part reflects Hipgnosis incurring lower adviser fees in respect of the transaction than previously expected. Read the London Stock Exchange Announcement The Kirkland team is led by corporate partners Francesca Storey-Harris, Aprajita Dhundia and David Higgins and associates Chris Weale, Sam Salt, Joe Timmins and Dan Sarkin; and technology and IP transactions partners Seth Traxler and Rory Wellever and associate Michael James.
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Francesca Storey-Harris, Aprajita Dhundia, David Higgins, Chris Weale, Sam Salt, Joe Timmins, Dan Sarkin, Seth Traxler, Rory Wellever, Michael James
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