UK brewer Scottish & Newcastle has called on private equity firms to help defend it from takeover attempts by rivals Carlsberg and Heineken, a move that is likely to become more common as large buyout houses regroup during the current lull in large buyouts.
The Edinburgh-based brewer is understood to have held talks with buyout groups TPG and The Blackstone Group over selling a stake in its Russian joint venture to push up the companyâs valuation.
