Slaughter and May, working as an integrated team with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, is advising the Stock Spirits Group on its intention to proceed with an initial public offering of its ordinary shares, as announced on 26 September 2013. Stock Spirits Group is a leading Central and Eastern European branded spirits producer whose principal product category is vodka. It has the largest market share for spirits in Poland and the Czech Republic and is the leading vodka company in both countries. 
 
Shares in a new holding company of the Stock Spirits Group will be offered to institutional investors in the UK and elsewhere, and an application will be made for the shares to be admitted to the premium listing segment of the Official List and to trading on the main market for listed securities of the London Stock Exchange. The offer will comprise an offer of new shares to raise gross primary proceeds of approximately £52 million and the partial sale of existing shares held by the group's existing principal shareholders, being certain funds and accounts managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. and current and former members of management. The group intends to use the net proceeds received from the offer of new shares to repay a portion of its existing indebtedness.
 
The syndicate for the IPO comprises J.P. Morgan Securities plc and Nomura International plc as Joint Sponsors, Joint Global Co-ordinators and Joint Bookrunners, Jefferies International Limited as Joint Bookrunner and Joh. Berenberg, Gossler & Co. KG as Lead Manager.

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP is advising on U.S. law.

CONTACTS

Corporate and Commercial: Jeff Twentyman (partner), Richard Smith (partner), Susannah Macknay (associate), Jonathan Walters (associate), William Lord (associate), Phoebe Hughes (associate), Di Yu (trainee), Rachel Breitenbach (trainee); Financing: Ed Fife (partner), Thomas Jemmett (associate), Paul Moyses (associate); Pensions and Employment: Jonathan Fenn (partner), Sarah Ferguson (associate), Annie Popplewell (associate), Katherine Flower (associate); Tax: Graham Iversen (partner), Ceinwen Rees (associate)

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison: Corporate Finance: Mark Bergman (partner), Patricia Vaz de Almeida (associate)