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Introducing Alphabet—G is for Google, R for restructure

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Published on: 24 August 2015

Published by a LexisNexis TMT expert

Table of contents

Original news
What is the thinking behind the creation of a holding company for Google’s companies?
What relationship will each subsidiary have to the holding company? Will profits be paid to the holding company?
How will the relationship between each subsidiary work in practice?
What powers will subsidiaries have? Could a subsidiary float on the stock markets or will all shares be Alphabet shares?
What are the benefits/drawbacks of such a structure?
How might this affect Google’s reputation and market standing?
Does this reduce overall risk within the Alphabet group?

Article summary

Corporate analysis: Google recently announced a major restructuring of its organisation, with the creation of a holding company called Alphabet. Robert Pook, a solicitor in the corporate team at Shoosmiths, along with Emma Gibson, a corporate partner at the firm, consider the motivations and implications of this move.

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