Ali Alahmad

Ali Alahmad practices corporate law with a particular focus on domestic and cross-border M&A transactions and equity capital markets. He has acted for public and private corporations and financial institutions on a wide range of corporate and corporate finance matters, including initial public offerings (IPOs), secondary fund raisings, cross-border acquisitions and disposals, and corporate reorganizations. Mr. Alahmad is also active in advising clients based in the Middle East.

Mr. Alahmad’s recent experience includes advising:

• a Saudi family office on a significant M&A transaction

• International Paper Company on its initially unsolicited, but subsequently agreed upon, US$9.9 billion competitive takeover of DS Smith Plc
• EG Group on its:
  • sale of its U.K. Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) business, consisting of 241 KFC restaurants in the United Kingdom and Ireland, to Yum! Brands, Inc.
  • US$2.8 billion sale of the majority of its Ireland and U.K. businesses to ASDA Group Limited. Both companies are based in the U.K.
• Intact Financial Corporation and its subsidiary Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Limited on their US$648 million acquisition of the brokered commercial lines operations of Direct Line Insurance Group plc
• SP Plus Corporation on its acquisition of K M P Associates Limited
• Sylvamo Corporation on its US$150 million acquisition of the Nymölla paper mill in Sweden from Stora Enso Oyj

Prior to joining Skadden, Mr. Alahmad represented:

• National Grid in the sale of a 60% stake in its U.K. gas transmission and metering business, the largest U.K. carve-out of 2022 (£9.6 billion implied enterprise value)
• Unilever PLC in the separation and sale of its tea business, covering more than 30 jurisdictions. Mr. Alahmad led the separation workstream for the tea business in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, United Arab Emirates and 10 other jurisdictions in Europe, including the U.K.
• J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs and Numis as underwriters on a €2.7 billion rights issue by International Consolidated Airlines Group, S.A., the owner of British Airways and Iberia (among others), on the London and Spanish Stock Exchanges
• Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and other underwriters in the £1.3 billion IPO of Dr. Martens Plc by Permira Holdings and its management
• Nestlé in its acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Lily’s Kitchen, a natural pet food business based in London

Mr. Alahmad went on secondment with a leading investment bank working with the equity and debt capital markets legal teams from January-September 2021 across multiple product offerings, including IPOs, private placements, block trades, rights issues, SPACs, convertible bond issuances and ratings advisory mandates.