3 Biggest M&A Wins and Fails of 2018
For in house and general counsel, mergers and acquisitions can be really big deals, and not just in the literal sense that the process requires stacks of paper and money that could fill a large room.
During 2018, there were some really big mergers and a few really big merger fails. Below you can check out three of the biggest fails and wins.
The M&A Fails:
1. The Sinclair-Tribune Merger
When the media giant tried to swallow the less large media giant, the government said no. And fight as they might, the Sinclair-Tribune merger became known as The $3.9 Billion Acquisition That Couldn't.
2. Pigment Makers Can't Mix
One of the most notable mergers that didn't get approved involves an industry most people, even lawyers, probably didn't even know exists: pigment. You know, the stuff that adds color everything manufactured? Well, when two pigment behemoths decided to try mixing their businesses, a federal court said no.
3. Comcast Can't Catch Fox
When it comes to entertainment media and broadcasting, one of the luckiest misses for consumers was the Comcast-Fox merger failing. Fortunately for Fox, Comcast's failure turned into their gain.
The M&A Wins:
1. Microsoft Gets GitHub
In the tech world, GitHub is a big deal. It provides a valuable service to everyone and anyone involved in programming or writing code and more, pretty much for free. But now, Microsoft has acquired GitHub, and fortunately for the faithful users, it has also promised to stay true to the site's guiding principles.
2. Thank Heavens for TV and Phone, Together
The AT&T - Time Warner deal promises to make AT&T a more competitive company considering that data service providers are now entering the media production and distribution industry.
3. Disney Catches Fox
While Comcast couldn't collar Fox, Disney could and did. And while the merger has been getting some negative press, and spurred a shareholder lawsuit, picking up the edgier Fox brand is likely to help Disney capture more of the market.
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