Disqualified advisers
The Panel will not regard as an appropriate person to give independent advice a person who is in the same group as the financial or other professional adviser (including a corporate broker) to an offeror or who has a significant interest in or financial connection with either an offeror or the offeree company of such a kind as to create a conflict of interest (see also Appendix 3).
NOTES ON RULE 3.3
Independence of adviser
The Rule requires the offeree company’s adviser to have a sufficient degree of independence from the offeror to ensure that the advice given is properly objective. Accordingly, in certain circumstances it may not be appropriate for a person who has had a recent advisory relationship with an offeror to give advice to the offeree company. In such cases the Panel should be consulted. The views of the board of the offeree company will be an important factor.
Success fees
Certain fee arrangements between an adviser and an offeree company may create a conflict of interest which would disqualify the adviser from being regarded as an appropriate person to give independent advice to the offeree company. For example, a fee which becomes payable to an offeree company adviser only in the event of failure of an offer will normally create such a conflict of interest. In cases of doubt the Panel should be consulted.