Dechert LLP advised Air Liquide in its acquisition of the home healthcare service provider ARAIR Assistance, as well as ARAIR Group’s support and training services.

The group Le Noble Age, a family-held business that manages nearly 60 healthcare and medical-social facilities in France, including two home hospitalization facilities, is acquiring the ARAIR Group’s Home Hospitalization business.

All of the ARAIR Group’s business units were placed in receivership on July 22 and 29, 2014. The Commercial Court of Tours, which had received several offers from interested buyers, issued a ruling on December 11, 2014 in favor of the acquisition proposals submitted by Air Liquide and Le Noble Age.

The ARAIR Group was founded in 1977 by anesthesiologists and intensive care doctors of the University Hospital (CHU - Centre Hospitalier Universitaire) of Tours to take care of the home medical treatment of patients with severe respiratory disorders. Since then, the Group has extended its activities to other areas of medical treatment, such as sleep apnea, diabetes and, most recently, the field of home hospitalization and nursing services. The Group employs nearly 600 people and cares for some 20,000 patients in France’s Centre, Poitou-Charentes and Pays-de-la-Loire Regions.

Air Liquide was advised by Dechert (Isabelle Marguet and Marie de Jessey on the corporate aspects and Sabrina Chekroun and Melissa Dogan on the labor aspects), as well as by Weil Gotschal & Manges (Jean-Dominique Daudier de Cassini, Anne-Sophie Noury and Henri Cazala).

The group Le Noble Age was assisted by Fidal (Jean-François Yerle and Aline Chapelle).