Dive Brief:

• Montreal-based WSP Global reportedly taking a shot at acquiring Parsons Brinkerhoff now that parent company Balfour Beatty and Carillion are seemingly done with the back-and-forth merger talks.
• The Financial Times reported Friday that WSP fired a $1.2 billion shot to take Parsons, and in June said that it's looking for a U.S. expansion.
• Also in England, ARCADIS and Nippon Koei are now battling it out for consulting firm Hyder, with ARCADIS making an inital offer of $478 million. 

Dive Insight:

Parsons was a stumbling block in the Balfour-Carillion talks. Balfour wanted to set the U.S. design firm free, but Carillion felt it was needed in order for Balfour to be worth acquiring.