SUCCESS
IN THE CITY
YOUR PERFECT PROJECT PARTNERS
Thanks to our comprehensive support services, Sterling is involved in many of the most high-profile and high-value financial projects undertaken in the City of London and around the world.
Sterling’s financial print facilities and virtual data rooms promote the seamless progression of M&A, IPOs and other equity-raising projects – from initial negotiation to desired conclusion.
Our clients and their partners make full use of our professional services to help ensure that their complex transactions are carried out both swiftly and successfully.
M&A
LANDMARK CASE STUDIES – STERLING IN ACTION
IDS (ROYAL MAIL) AND EP GROUP
Representing IDS
• Financial Advisors – Barclays Bank PLC, BofA Securities and Goldman Sachs
• Legal Advisors – Slaughter & May
Representing EP Group
• Financial Advisors – BNP Paribas, Citi and J.P. Morgan Cazenove
• Legal Advisors – Kirkland & Ellis
Sterling was appointed in 2024 by both IDS, the parent company of Royal Mail and GLS, and EP Group on the £3.5bn recommended all cash offer. Sterling coordinated a logistically demanding print production process for this high-profile transaction, and navigating a complex and time-sensitive mailing within a fast-paced and strict deadline.
Sterling was responsible for typesetting, proofing, printing and delivering 260,000 shareholder packs.
DS SMITH MERGER WITH INTERNATIONAL PAPER
Representing DS Smith
• Financial Advisors – Goldman Sachs, Citi and J.P. Morgan Cazenove
• Legal Advisors – Slaughter & May
Representing International Paper
• Financial Advisors – BofA Securities
• Legal Advisors – Skadden, Arps, Meagher & Flom
The £5.8bn merger of DS Smith and International Paper received shareholder approval in October 2024 with Sterling assisting DS Smith for the Scheme of Arrangement mailing and subsequent employee and shareholder mailings with the use of our in-house expertise and financial print services.
Sterling produced 4000 personalised shareholder packs including a 152-page Scheme Prospectus plus related ancillaries within a 24 hour timeframe. The transaction also involved producing 3,500 personalised employee packs for distribution to 20 worldwide locations.
BARRATT MERGER WITH REDROW
Representing Redrow
• Financial Advisors – Barclays Bank and Peel Hunt
• Legal Advisors – Slaughter & May
Representing Barratt
• Financial Advisors – UBS and Morgan Stanley
• Legal Advisors – Linklaters
Sterling was appointed by Redrow to produce all documentation on this £2.5bn acquisition by the UK’s biggest housebuilder, Barratt, by means of Scheme of Arrangement, which was finally approved by the CMA, following a competition concern, in August 2024.
ROYAL MAIL IPO
In 2013, Sterling was appointed by the UK government to manage the complex print production for this high-profile Royal Mail privatisation that raised £1.98 billion.
3,000 copies of the 450-page Main Prospectus were required together with 350,000 Retail Packs and 30,000 Employee Packs complete with Application Forms.
SHELL / BG TAKEOVER
The £47 billion acquisition of BG Group by Royal Dutch Shell was finalised on 15th February 2016 with Sterling assisting the deal through the use of our virtual data room and financial print services.
Sterling produced 600,000 personalised shareholder packs including a 220-page Scheme Prospectus and a 32-page Shareholder Guide.
CO-OP BANK RESTRUCTURING
In 2013, the Co-operative Bank plc required a £1.5 billion recapitalisation with Sterling being appointed by the advisory team, led by UBS, to act as financial printer for this project.
Sterling was responsible for typesetting, proofing, printing and delivering a 700-page Bank T2 Prospectus, an 800-page Group Prospectus and a 1,400-page Scheme Document with a multiple mailing to approx. 10,000 shareholders.
PTSB EQUITY RAISE
Irish bank Permanent TSB raised €525 million capital equity in May 2015, including €400 million through the sale of 88.9 million shares to a group of private investors and €125 million via a debt instrument.
Sterling’s role in this equity-raising exercise was to create, print and distribute 125,000 mailing packs, including a 100-page Circular plus Proxy Forms, as well 15,000 copies of a 160-page Annual Report.
