Leading international law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is advising Ardagh Group, a global leader in glass and metal packaging solutions, which has entered into exclusive negotiations with Compagnie de Saint-Gobain to purchase the entire issued capital of Verallia North America (“VNA”) for US$1.7bn (approximately €1.275bn)

VNA, which has its headquarters in Muncie, Indiana, is the second largest glass container manufacturer in the US with annual revenues of approximately US$1.6bn (€1.2bn). The deal would see Ardagh glass activities increase in size by almost 60%. With 113 facilities in 26 countries, the entire group would employ approximately 22,000 people and would increase its global sales to more than €5.4bn.

The Freshfields team was led by partner Alan Mason in Paris, with New York-based corporate partner Julian Pritchard. Paris-based partner Cyril Valentin and Washington-based partner Claude Stansbury advised on tax issues.

Alan Mason commented, ‘This complex, cross-border deal is an excellent example of the first-class international capabilities we can draw on here at Freshfields to support our clients on their most strategic M&A work. The acquisition of VNA required a broad range of legal skills and experience which our teams in France and the USA were perfectly positioned to deliver.’

Freshfields’ work for Ardagh is the latest in a number of high-profile, complex cross-border acquisitions on which the firm has acted in Paris. Other recent examples include the acquisition of GEFCO by JSC Russian Railways from PSA Peugeot Citroën.

http://www.freshfields.com/en/deals/Freshfields_advises_Ardagh_Group_in…