Linklaters

🏆 We are delighted to once again be ranked in the GAR 30, Global Arbitration Review’s elite list of the world’s top international arbitration practices. Alison Wilson, Global Divisional Practice Head, Litigation, Arbitration & Investigations, commented: “This recognition underscores the depth and strength of our global, market‑leading arbitration practice. It is a testament to the team’s collaborative culture and its ability to deliver complex, cross‑border arbitrations for clients around the world. It also reflects the trusted reputation we have built with clients globally, and this achievement belongs to the entire team. Huge congratulations to all.” #GAR30

📢 A team led by Ben Rodham, Ben Suen, Richard Ginks, and Subir Rajadhyaksha is advising ENCYCLIS, an EQT Group portfolio company, on the sale of its 50% ownership stake in Dublin Waste to Energy to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (Ltd), and is advising the facility on a parallel €558 million refinancing. Read more on our website 👉 https://lnkd.in/e3aqRjP2.

We are delighted to announce the election of 37 new partners, effective 1 May 2026! Find out more: https://lnkd.in/egXZShkU

What does the EU's new Anti-Corruption Directive mean for your business? On 26 March 2026, the European Parliament formally endorsed a landmark new directive, raising the floor for anti-corruption compliance across the EU. Key provisions include: ➡️ Harmonised criminal offences, including bribery, misappropriation, trading in influence, and concealment of assets. ➡️ Significant penalties for companies, with maximum fines of at least five per cent of total worldwide turnover for certain offences. ➡️ A critical distinction between genuinely effective compliance programmes (a mitigating factor) and "window dressing" (an aggravating factor). Our experts have set out practical preparatory steps for businesses in our quick-read article: https://lnkd.in/gsJrYdMX

📢 A cross-border, cross-practice Linklaters team led by Samuel Bordeleau has advised a consortium of seven commercial banks on a US$830 million limited recourse financing for the installation, operation and maintenance of NVIDIA Grace Blackwell GPU infrastructure at Mistral AI’s data centre near Paris. The transaction represents the first limited recourse financing of GPU infrastructure in Europe and will support the training of Mistral AI’s own models as well as those of its customers, while delivering high-performance inference services. Read more on our website 👉 https://lnkd.in/eMcw98G4

🌐 That’s a wrap! A wonderful four days, where our team welcomed clients and industry peers during the Infrastructure Investor Global Summit 2026. We kicked off with a warm and insightful client dinner discussing the shifting dynamics shaping Europe’s infrastructure landscape - from energy security to digitalisation and defence ‑ and investment priorities. Day 2, we continued with a Linklaters reception at the STATION Berlin in partnership with PEI. Here are some of our key takeaways and client perspectives on the trends influencing today’s infrastructure investment environment:   ✅ AI and digital infrastructure are driving demand from power generation to data centres and connectivity, while obsolescence and pricing risks remain under‑explored. ✅ Europe’s energy transition is viewed positively, with strong interconnection, diverse markets and a focus on security as well as decarbonisation. ✅ Grids and storage are attracting significant investor interest, with innovative financing needed and battery storage moving from planning to delivery at scale. ✅ Renewables momentum is building, with 2025 a record year for wind deployment, but government follow‑through on support is critical to investor confidence. ✅ Defence and resilience infrastructure have moved from niche to central, with growing acceptance of the overlap between resilience assets and traditional infrastructure. ✅ Supply chain risk and circularity are front of mind, with investors focused on diversification, redundancy, tariff risk and long‑term asset sustainability.   If you’d like to explore these themes further, read our article on the Sustainable Futures blog: https://lnkd.in/eFvQdtGB   Thank you to everyone who joined us across our curated evenings, and to our fantastic team on the ground for bringing it all together. We look forward to building on these discussions in the weeks ahead. To learn more about how we’re supporting clients with opportunities in the infrastructure sector, visit our sector hub: https://lnkd.in/drSsE7nF #InfrastructureInvestor #GlobalSummit #EnergyTransition #PrivateCapital #Berlin2026

⚖️ The Court of Justice of the EU has just issued an important judgment on the limitation and expiry periods for product liability claims. The Court reaffirmed that the Product Liability Directive is designed to strike a balance between consumer protection and legitimate manufacturer interests.   💡Key takeaways: ·      The CJEU upheld the 10-year expiry period under the EU Product Liability Directive, rejecting the Advocate General's position that the period should be set aside in cases of progressive damage. ·      On the 3-year limitation period, the CJEU confirmed that time begins to run when the claimant becomes aware – or ought to have become aware – of the damage, the defect in the product, and the identity of the producer, rejecting the notion that limitation should only commence once a progressive damage has "stabilised". ·      This outcome is a positive development for legal certainty across the board, benefiting manufacturers and claimants alike. By upholding well-established criteria for calculating limitation and expiration periods, the CJEU has reinforced confidence in the legal framework underpinning economic activity within the Union.   👉 Read our full analysis here: https://lnkd.in/dJfaVf5Y

📢 A cross-border and cross-practice team led by M&A partner Nicole Meyer advised Macquarie Group on the sale of its leading Meter Asset Provider (MAP) platform OnStream Group Limited to Igneo Infrastructure Partners. The transaction comprises a portfolio of more than seven million later generation smart meters owned by OnStream and operating across the UK and Germany. Our team included, amongst others, managing associate Eleanor Keighley Elstub and partners Rich Jones (TMT), Aditi Srivastava (Structured Finance), Sam Lintonbon (Tax) and Nick Szmigin (Acquisition Finance). Read more on our website 👉 https://lnkd.in/e9XJdTxe

📢 A cross-border team led by Marco G. Carbonare (Frankfurt), Kevin Roy (Frankfurt) and Danelle Le Cren (New York) advised the global underwriters, administrative agents, and lenders on a $11 billion financing for Novartis’ acquisition of Avidity Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: RNA), a San Diego-based biopharmaceutical company focused on a new class of therapeutics enabling RNA delivery to muscle. Read more on our website 👉 https://lnkd.in/e-AdKuvm

As the holy month of Ramadan draws to a close, we would like to share our best wishes to everyone celebrating Eid al-Fitr.   We know these remain extremely difficult and worrying times for many of our colleagues, particularly in the Middle East. We hope Eid provides some comfort over the coming days. Eid Mubarak!