J.P. Morgan (NYSE: JPM) announced on March 15, 2022 that it has “entered into an agreement” to acquire Global Shares, a Cloud-powered provider of share plan management software.
Global Shares’ employee ownership solutions “cover the entire company lifecycle, and caters to corporates worldwide.” The deal – the terms of which have not been shared publicly – is subject “to regulatory approvals and closing.” The transaction is “expected to close in the second half of 2022.”
Established back in 2005, Global Shares has “an expansive client base of over 600 corporate clients that range from early-stage start-ups to mature multinational public corporations.”
The company has almost $200 billion in assets under administration “across 650,000 corporate employee participants.” It operates with an experienced team of over 600 workers headquartered in Cork, Ireland and 16 further locations across Europe, the MENA region, North America and Asia Pacific. Since July 2018, Global Shares has “been partnered with specialist fintech investor, Motive Partners.”
Mary Callahan Erdoes, CEO, J.P. Morgan Asset & Wealth Management, stated:
“The addition of Global Shares is complementary across our entire J.P. Morgan franchise from new client acquisition for our Global Private Bank and U.S. Wealth Management businesses to providing new, innovative capabilities to private and public companies globally and helping their employees manage their wealth,”
Tim Houstoun, CEO, Global Shares, remarked:
“We are tremendously excited to partner with J.P. Morgan and to continue on our journey of being a leading player in equity incentive services. Together, we will accelerate the expansion of our business globally as well as the range of services we offer to our clients and their employees. This is a great news for both our clients and all of our employees.”
Michael Camacho, CEO of Wealth Management Solutions, J.P. Morgan, said
“We are excited about the potential to partner with corporates globally and help to deliver a range of wealth management solutions to Global Shares’ equity plan participants,”
Michael Elanjian, Head of Digital Private Markets, J.P. Morgan added:
“Global Shares’ cap table management capabilities represent an important addition to the portfolio of digital solutions we are building for private companies,”
Over time, J.P. Morgan will “integrate Global Shares into its Asset & Wealth Management line of business, supporting the next phase of Global Shares’ growth agenda.” The firm will “remain headquartered in Cork, Ireland.”
J.P. Morgan was “advised by J.P. Morgan Securities, LLC as financial advisor and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP and McCann FitzGerald LLP as legal counsel.” Global Shares was “advised by BofA Securities as financial advisor and Proskauer Rose LLP and Arthur Cox LLP as legal counsel.”