Shearman & Sterling is representing industrial gas company BOC Group plc in its $14.4 billion acquisition by German gas and engineering company Linde AG.  Following the acquisition, the combined company is expected to have nearly €12 billion in annual revenue from gas and engineering sales, and will be the largest industrial gas maker in the world.

Linde has offered to pay £16 per share for BOC.  The acquisition will be financed through a combination of debt and equity offerings, divestments and loans.  The offer is subject to customary conditions and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2006.

Shearman & Sterling is representing BOC on US aspects of the deal.  Attorneys include Pamela Gibson (Capital Markets) and Bonnie Greaves (M&A) in the London office, and John Madden (M&A) and Kenneth Prince (Antitrust) in the New York office.