Linklaters is advising Deutsche Börse on a €1.1 billion ($1.3 billion) acquisition of the remaining 20% minority stake in data analytics provider ISS STOXX held by General Atlantic. It is the second proposed acquisition this year for Deutsche Börse, owner of Germany’s DAX stock exchange, following its €5.3 billion ($6.2 billion) all-cash offer for Allfunds in January, Germany’s largest transaction of the year so far. Milbank's Munich-based team is led by corporate M&A partners Sebastian Heim and Pascal Härdtner with tax partner Rolf Füger and antitrust partner Alexander Rinne. Linklaters’ team in Germany includes global chair corporate/co-head M&A Ralph Wollburg, PE head Ralph Drebes, and corporate/M&A partner Staffan Illert, according to a person with knowledge of the transaction. Both firms have previously advised their clients. Milbank counselled General Atlantic on its 2019 acquisition of a stake in ISS STOXX (formerly Qontigo) and again on the 2023 combination of Qontigo with ISS. Meanwhile, Linklaters advised Deutsche Börse on a proposed merger with the London Stock Exchange Group, blocked by the EU Commission on competition grounds, and on a proposed tie-up with NYSE Euronext which was also blocked. Illert has the firm's repeat client on various transactions, including its acquisition of Kneip Communication.