Cleary Gottlieb is advising Total, a global integrated energy producer and provider, and a leading international oil and gas company, in connection with the acquisition of Direct Énergie, France’s leading alternative energy player.
LONDON—Covington advised BenevolentAI on an £80 million equity investment by new and existing investors, including Woodford Investment Management, at a pre-money valuation of £1.4 billion. The firm also recently advised BenevolentAI on its acquisition of Proximagen Limited, a Cambridge, UK-based drug discovery and development company, for an undisclosed sum.
International law firm Clifford Chance has advised specialty chemicals group LANXESS on the acquisition of IMD Natural Solutions GmbH.
LANXESS is a leading specialty chemicals group with revenues of EUR 9.66 billion in 2017 and app. 19,200 employees in 25 countries. LANXESS develops, manufactures and distributes chemical intermediates, additives, specialty chemicals and plastics.
Matheson recently advised Saint-Gobain’s Performance Plastics Life Sciences business on its acquisition of MH Pharma Precision Manufacturing Limited, an Irish based supplier and manufacturer of single-use components and systems for the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries. The transaction, which was subject to clearance by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, completed on 13 April 2018.
Brian McCloskey, Corporate M&A Partner at Matheson said:
Casablanca—Dentons Morocco has advised Lesaffre, a global player in yeasts and fermentation, on the acquisition of a majority stake in Rayen Food Industries, a Tunisian company specializing in the production of baker’s yeast in Tunisia.
Dentons has advised C&C Group plc, owner of drink brands such as Bulmers in Ireland and Magners and Tennent’s in the UK, on its acquisition of Matthew Clark (Holdings) Limited and Bibendum PLB (Topco) Limited ("Matthew Clark Bibendum") from Conviviality Brands Limited, a subsidiary of Conviviality plc. Conviviality plc collapsed into administration earlier this month.
Gide and Yulchon law firms have advised Korean group KC Green Holdings, listed on the Seoul stock exchange and specialised in environmental technologies, on the acquisition of 67% of French removable office partitions specialist Clestra Hauserman. Current CEO Vincent Paul-Petit will hold the remaining 33% stake, via his company Industries & Commerces Investissements. Clestra Hauserman had been majority owned by Impala Industries since 2013.
The Corporate team at Freeths has recently advised Holovis International Limited and its shareholders in connection with a multi-million pound investment from asset management company Road King.
Road King, a Hong Kong based firm with its core business including investment, development, operation and management though Asia, now owns a minority stake in Holovis.
The Freeths team was led by Ateeq Ahmed and John Heaphy with specialist advice being provided by employment partner Rebecca Sawbridge, tax associate Richard Ferguson and corporate solicitor Amy Harron.
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP (‘Freshfields’) is advising Advent International (‘Advent’) in connection with its exclusive negotiations to acquire Zentiva, Sanofi’s European generics business for €1.9bn. Advent is a global investor, with over 25 years’ experience of investing in the healthcare sector. It has extensive experience of executing corporate carve-outs.
The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2018, subject to finalization of definitive agreements, completion of the appropriate social processes and approval of relevant regulatory authorities.
Mills & Reeve advises on a $4.5m investment in Spectral Edge by IQ Capital Partners and Parkwalk Advisors.
Working with longstanding client IQ Capital Partners LLP and new client to the firm, Parkwalk Advisors, Mills & Reeve has just finalised a $4.5 million investment into Spectral Edge, as part of a $5.3 million investment round.