The cross‑border M&A wave in 2025 is intense. Cheap UK assets are luring foreign bidders, with US private equity accounting for 14 % of all takeovers and 27 % when strategic bidders are included. Two bids a week means 2025 may be the busiest year for UK takeovers. When a UK‑listed company is swallowed by a US buyer, your shares become US securities. To sell, transfer or update them you’ll need a Medallion Signature Guarantee or face delays and frozen capital.
A Medallion Signature Guarantee certifies that the signature on US or Canadian securities is genuine and that the signatory has legal authority. It’s mandatory for transfers, name changes, estate distributions, letters of transmittal and other transactions. Fraser & Fraser is a certified STAMP guarantor with its own stamp and a transaction limit of US $1 million. Applications are assessed individually; mandatory ID checks protect all parties and fees start from £295 per line of stock. Examples of transactions include transferring US or Canadian stocks, updating holder names and handling inherited IRAs. Fraser & Fraser is one of the few UK firms offering Medallion services to investors in the UK and Europe.
Having assisted solicitors, estate executors, individual shareholders and financial advisers, Fraser & Fraser provides bespoke support tailored to complex cross‑border holdings. They arrange the Medallion Signature guarantee stamp and coordinate the sale or transfer, keeping processes efficient. If takeovers are transforming your portfolio, plan ahead. Secure a Medallion Signature Guarantee through Fraser & Fraser to keep your assets accessible when the deal closes.
