Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP (‘Freshfields’) has advised Nets A/S (‘Nets’) (via its holding company Evergood Lux 1 S.à r.l), a leading provider of digital payment services and related technology solutions across the Nordic region, on its merger with Concardis Payment Group (‘Concardis’), a leading merchant payment service provider in the German-speaking parts of Europe. Nets is majority owned by funds advised by Hellman & Friedman, alongside funds advised by Advent International and Bain Capital, GIC, and certain other minority investors; Concardis is owned by funds advised by Advent International and Bain Capital.

The combined group will have annual revenues of approximately €1.3bn and EBITDA of approximately €500m. The resulting industrial scale will enable further investments in innovation and service improvements for merchants, enterprises and bank customers, allowing the Group to create a leading position in the European payments market.

The transaction will be effected by way of a contribution of shares in Concardis in exchange for an issue of shares in Nets. The transaction is subject to customary anti-trust and regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in Q4 2018.

The Freshfields team was led by partners Tim Wilmot, Markus Paul and Simon Priddis and senior associate Keir MacLennan. Freshfields also advised Hellman & Friedman on the public takeover of Nets, announced in September 2017.