German chemical giant BASF SE finally made an M&A move—with a pair of high-powered legal pros in tow.
While rival chemical companies have continued to consolidate in recent months—striking massive deals like E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co.’s $130 billion merger with Dow Chemical Co.; China National Chemical Corp.’s $43 billion play for Syngenta AG; and Bayer AG’s $62 billion bid for Monsanto Co.—BASF has remained conservative on the acquisition front and keen on divestitures under its current CEO Kurt Bock. But this week BASF was primed to pounce when the right opportunity arose.
