Transaction represents the largest domestic European FinTech deal to date in 2018.

Worldline, European leader in the payments and transactional services industry, has announced its acquisition of SIX Payment Services, the payment services division of SIX, for a consideration of €2.303 billion (CHF 2.750 billion). The transaction represents the largest domestic European FinTech deal to date in 2018 and will create the leading and largest payments provider in Europe.

SIX Payment Services is one of Europe’s largest card transaction processors and a market leader in Switzerland, Austria, and Luxembourg. The transaction, which is expected to close during the fourth quarter of 2018, is subject to work councils’ information and European companies work council consultation processes in Worldline and Atos European companies work council, as well as customary antitrust and regulatory approvals.

Latham & Watkins advised Worldline on the transaction with a Paris-based corporate team led by partner Pierre-Louis Cléro, with partner Alexander Crosthwaite and associates Julie Tchaglass, Julie Cazalet, and François Blanchet. Advice was also provided on tax matters by partner Xavier Renard and associate Yann Auregan, and on antitrust matters by partner Jacques-Philippe Gunther and associate Mathilde Saltiel. London partner Nick Cline and associate Emily Cridland advised on UK corporate law matters.

The Worldline in-house team was led by Alexandre Menais, Group Executive Vice President in charge of M&A, Strategy and Development, Legal, Compliance, and Contract Management; Damien Catoir, Associate Group General Counsel Global Strategic Project & Corporate; Anne-Sophie Poirier, Head of Legal M&A; and Charles-Henri de Taffin de Tilques, General Counsel of Worldline.