The American Lawyer Global M&A Deals of the Year recognize transactions that redrew the corporate map in every corner of the globe. Although 2012 was quiet for inbound China M&A, Chinese clients boast no fewer than three multibillion-dollar outbound deals on the honor roll, with Cnooc Limited buying Canada’s Nexen Inc., Yanzhou Coal Mining Co. Ltd. buying Australia’s Gloucester Coal Ltd., and Sinopec Corp. forming a joint venture with Saudi Aramco. Another two deals of the year featured Brazilian targets (Amil Participações S.A. and TAM S.A.), as Western players looked to emerging markets for growth, and emerging players began the process of regional consolidation. Many of the other bids—for Sprint Corp., Xstrata plc, Tiger beer, TNK-BP, and the Los Bronces copper mine—were distinguished by courtroom or boardroom maneuvering.
GRAND PRIZE WINNER
Global M&A Deal of the Year, U.S.: Softbank/Sprint
When Softbank of Japan bought a controlling share in Sprint Nextel in July, it marked the largest foreign investment ever—$21.6 billion—by a Japanese company and the end of a high-stakes competition for the prized telecom company.
