DLA Piper has advised Vodafone on the proposed merger of Vodafone Malta Ltd and Melita Ltd. The combination will create a new fully integrated communications company with the scale and resources required to offer competitive ‘quad play’ bundled mobile, fixed broadband, fixed telephony and TV services to Maltese consumers and a full range of enterprise services for businesses and the public sector.

At completion, the current shareholders of Melita (being funds managed by Apax Partners Midmarket SAS and Fortino Capital) will own 51% of the Combined Company and Vodafone Europe B.V., the current shareholder of Vodafone Malta, will own the remaining 49% (in each case excluding any dilutive effect of management incentive plans for the Combined Company).

The transaction values Vodafone Malta at an enterprise value of €208 million and Melita at an enterprise value of €298 million and is conditional on approval from the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority.

The DLA Piper team was led by Corporate Partner, Ben Forgiel-Jenkins, with assistance from Darren Grindlay and Rebecca Hughes (Associates, Corporate), Paul Rutherford (Partner, Tax), Carmelo Lam (Senior Associate, Tax), Mark O'Conor (Partner, IPT) and Peter Elliott (Associate, IPT). Maltese law advice was provided by Ganado Advocates.