William Fry is advising Linde AG (LING.DE) on its proposed merger with US industrial group Praxair  Inc (PX.N) in a deal that will create the world’s largest supplier of industrial gas. The industry supplies gases such as oxygen and hydrogen used at hospitals, oil refineries, chemical plants and steel fabricators. The new company formed from the planned $70bn merger will likely be based in the Republic of Ireland. The proposed merger is the largest M&A deal in Europe in 2017 more than double the value of Atlantia SpA’s proposed acquisition of Abertis Infraestructuras S.A and Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd acquisition by Johnson & Johnson

The William Fry team is led by Shane O’Donnell, Head of Corporate / M&A.

William Fry’s Corporate / M&A team has had a busy H1 advising on a range of deals including advising the Minister for Finance on the AIB IPO, and on the pending US$209m recommended takeover by scheme of arrangement of NASDAQ-listed Innocoll plc by Gurnet Point.