Leadership Changes and Deal Costs
Keysight announced that three of its senior executives will now serve as directors on Spirent’s board. Spirent expects to incur approximately £56.2 million in expenses tied to the acquisition, while Keysight projected around £98.8 million in related costs, citing regulatory compliance and antitrust procedures.
The U.S. Department of Justice approved the merger in June, contingent on Keysight selling three Spirent business units to mitigate competition concerns in the large-scale network testing market. Approval from China’s State Administration for Market Regulation followed in late September, clearing the final hurdle for the transaction.
Legal Teams Behind the Mega Deal
The acquisition brought together a lineup of powerhouse law firms. Freshfields LLP represented Keysight, with WilmerHale advising on antitrust matters and Ashurst LLP counseling its financial advisers. Linklaters LLP provided legal guidance to Spirent.
Neither company has commented publicly on the finalized acquisition, but the deal cements Keysight’s dominance in the telecom testing sector, merging U.S. innovation with U.K. expertise in one of the year’s most watched international technology acquisitions.
