London—Dentons has advised the partners of Autonomous Research on an offer made by AllianceBernstein, the US investment management and broking group, to acquire all the partnership interests and shares of Autonomous.

Autonomous Research has become the pre-eminent investment research boutique focused on financial services, with an award-winning fintech service to complement it. The combination with Bernstein provides the business with an array of new opportunities – from the wider distribution platform provided by Bernstein – and strongly enhances the combined business’s position in the market at a time when MiFID II is transforming the industry.

Erick Davis, CEO of Autonomous, said, "It was a pleasure working with the Dentons team on this important deal. Their knowledge of the group, their level-headedness and their sound advice throughout the process have been very reassuring, and instrumental in making the transaction happen.”

Guy Norfolk, UK Corporate partner at Dentons who led on the deal, said, “We have acted for Autonomous from their inception in 2009 and throughout the growth of their business and of their reputation for best-in-class independent investment research. It has been a real privilege to help our client in this strategic, high profile and complex deal.”

Alongside Guy Norfolk, the Dentons team was led by Corporate counsel Mark Stewart and Tax counsel Alastair MacLeod on the tax advisory work.

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