Kende Szabo

KENDE SZABO advises corporate, private equity, and sovereign-backed clients on domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, carve-outs, and strategic investments. He regularly works on complex, multijurisdictional transactions involving businesses across Europe, the Middle East, and other international markets.

Kende represents public and private companies, financial sponsors, and investment platforms across a broad range of industries, including industrials, consumer products, healthcare, technology, energy, and infrastructure. He advises clients throughout the transaction lifecycle, from structuring and due diligence through negotiation, execution, and post-closing integration matters.

Prior to joining Sidley, Kende advised on a number of significant cross-border transactions, including acquisitions and disposals valued in the billions of dollars, strategic joint ventures, corporate reorganizations, and competitive auction processes. His experience includes matters involving leading multinational corporations, private equity sponsors, sovereign wealth funds, and family-owned businesses.

Kende is admitted as a solicitor in England and Wales and is also registered as a legal consultant in Dubai. He is fluent in English, Hungarian, and Italian.

Kende’s experience includes advising:

• A global automotive manufacturer on a 50/50 joint venture with an international automotive group and the carve-out of its combustion and hybrid engines business.
• A luxury automotive manufacturer on a strategic supply agreement with a leading electric vehicle technology company.
  A Premier League football club on assessing the implications of changes to Premier League regulations.
• A consortium of financial investors on the acquisition of a majority stake in a Middle Eastern payment services business from a leading regional bank.
• An international dairy company on the €2.8 billion acquisition of the consumer and associated businesses of a New Zealand dairy co-operative.
• A global safety solutions provider and its private equity sponsor on an investment from an investment firm, valuing the business at approximately £1.3 billion.
• The £1.465 billion divestment of a 25% stake in an electricity transmission network business by a FTSE 100 energy company to a pension fund.
• Compagnie de Saint-Gobain on its acquisition of Fosroc, a leading global construction chemicals player for US$1.025 billion.
• Compagnie de Saint-Gobain on the sale of its UK building distribution business following a competitive auction process.
• The sale of a regional pharmacy business by two UAE pharmacy operators to a publicly listed retail and e-commerce group.
• The sale of four pharmaceutical companies in the UAE by a healthcare holding company to a regional life sciences platform.
• A FTSE 100 company on the feasibility of a potential U.S. listing.

*The above matters were handled prior to joining Sidley