WSP Global Inc. (TSX:WSP) reached an agreement to acquire RPS Group plc (LSE:RPS) from Wellcome Trust, The Douglas Family Trust and others for approximately £570 million on August 8, 2022. As per the transaction, WSP Global Inc. will acquire 277,510,925 RPS shares at £2.06. The transaction will be financed from approximately £660 million bought deal public offering and private placements and new credit facility of approximately £600 million. The transaction is approved by board of directors of RPS Group plc and is subject to shareholders approval of RPS Group plc, approval by court and antitrust authorities. As of the end of 18 October 2022, Conditions (The Scheme was conditional on the Court Meeting and the General Meeting being held on or before 18 October 2022) have not been satisfied. The Acquisition is also expected to be immediately accretive to the WSP Group's adjusted net earnings. The acquisition is expected to be completed by the end of the fourth quarter of 2022. Anthony Parsons, Keith Welch, Alex Thomas and Luc Buisson of HSBC Bank plc acted as financial advisor and Julie Sharp, William Leslie, Bradley Richardson, Rachel Hetherington, Toby Grimstone, Iain Fenn, Aisling Zarraga, Jonathan Gafni, Adam Lurie, Satindar Dogra, Sarah Parkin, Cara Hegarty, Sima Ostrovsky and Narayan Iyer of Linklaters LLP and Stikeman Elliott LLP acted as legal advisors to WSP Global Inc. Tim Shacklock, James Dawson and Tom Quinn of Gleacher Shacklock LLP and Andrej Avelini of AEC Advisors LLC acted as financial advisor and DLA Piper UK LLP acted as legal advisor to RPS Group plc.

WSP Global Inc. (TSX:WSP) cancelled the acquisition of RPS Group plc (LSE:RPS) from Wellcome Trust, The Douglas Family Trust and others on October 18, 2022.