Sarah Bibas

Willkie advised Ardian on its agreement to acquire a majority stake in AD Education, a European education platform specialized in arts, digital and audiovisual. On December 18, Ardian announced the acquisition of a majority stake in AD Education alongside Kevin Guenegan, founder and CEO of the group as well as the management team. Founded in 2009, AD Education is a leading European higher education platform, pure player in the field of Creative Arts, teaching to more than 15,000 students in 12 schools on 36 campuses in France, Italy, Spain and Germany. AD Education covers 4 main sub-segments: Design & Graphical Arts, Media & Digital, Audiovisual and Culture & Luxury. Over the past 10 years, the Group has established itself as the French leader on its core educational fields, following continued organic growth as well as successful build-ups, and as a sizeable European platform following acquisitions in Italy, Spain and Germany. Within the framework of the partnership with AD Education, Ardian will support Kevin Guenegan and the management team in accelerating both organic and external growth as well as reinforcing its geographical diversification strategy. Thanks to its solid expertise in the education sector and its international network, Ardian holds the financial and human resources to identify and seize growth opportunities and thus support AD Education in its ambitious growth plan. The Willkie deal team was led by corporate partner Eduardo Fernandez and included counsel Gil Kiener and associates Louis Jambu-Merlin, Justine Ricaud and Sarah Bibas, as well as antitrust partner Faustine Viala and associate David Kupka.

Dec 21

1 min

Willkie advised Latour Capital on the disposal of its stake in YellowKorner. On July 20, Latour Capital announced the disposal of its stake in YellowKorner, a world leader in art photography accessible to all, to investment company Blue Altitude Invest (BAI). Founded in 2006, YellowKorner publishes and distributes photographs of renowned or promising artists in limited and numbered editions at affordable prices. YellowKorner operates a network of more than 130 company-owned or franchised galleries across 25 countries globally. The group employs more than 200 people and has exclusivity partnerships with 250 photographers worldwide. During the six years that Latour has supported the development of the company, YellowKorner has focused on increasing its online sales by expanding its multi-channel offer, strengthening its distribution model, as well as optimizing its production site in Poland. Willkie’s deal team is led by partner Christophe Garaud and includes associate Sarah Bibas.

Jul 22

1 min

Willkie is advising IK Partners in the transaction. On July 28, Willkie client IK Partners announced that an affiliate of the IK VII Fund has entered into a put option agreement to sell its stake in Exxelia to global aerospace business HEICO Corporation. Headquartered in Paris, Exxelia is a leading manufacturer of complex passive components and precision subsystems for niche industrial markets. The company operates from 11 manufacturing sites with more than 2,100 employees and serves blue-chip customers in more than 50 countries. Willkie previously advised IK Partners in numerous transactions, including its recent sale of LINXIS Group, its investment in Safic-Alcan and its acquisitions of Batisanté and, as member of an investor consortium, of Vivalto Santé. IK Partners is a European private equity firm focused on investments in the Benelux, DACH, France, Nordics and the UK. Since 1989, IK has raised more than €14 billion of capital and invested in over 170 European companies. The Willkie team is led by partner Eduardo Fernandez and includes partner Hugo Nocerino and associate Sarah Bibas.

Jul 28

1 min

Willkie advised Ardian and portfolio company AD Education on the acquisition. On February 10, Willkie client AD Education, a portfolio company of Ardian, announced its acquisition of the European operations of SAE Institute, a leader in audiovisual and creative media higher education, from Navitas. The acquisition is expected to enable AD Education, a leading European higher education platform, to expand into six new countries and to enhance its course offerings in audiovisual arts, while also facilitating the future roll-out of additional AD Education programs. SAE Institute's European operations include 22 campuses in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, the UK, France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Belgium and the Netherlands. The joint company will teach more than 22,000 students in 10 countries in Europe, with combined revenues close to €200 million. Willkie previously advised Ardian on its acquisition of a majority stake in AD Education. Founded in 2009, AD Education is a European higher education platform specialized in arts, digital and audiovisual, teaching more than 18,000 students in 14 schools on 44 campuses in France, Italy, Spain and Germany. Ardian is a leading private investment house with $125 billion of assets managed or advised in Europe, the Americas and Asia. The Willkie team was led by partners Eduardo Fernandez and Philip Coletto and included partner Gil Kiener and associates William Buchanan and Sarah Bibas.

Feb 11

1 min

Willkie is advising IK Partners on the transaction. On July 20, Willkie client IK Partners announced that an affiliate of the IK VIII Fund has entered into a put option agreement to sell its stake in LINXIS Group, a leading global supplier of industrial processing equipment and automation solutions for the food, pharma and cosmetic industries, to Hillenbrand, Inc. LINXIS consists of six market-leading brands – VMI, Diosna, Shaffer, Shick Esteve, Unifiller and Bakon – with more than 1,100 employees collectively. Operating design and assembly facilities in Europe and North America, it serves thousands of customers across 100 countries, specializing in the design, installation and maintenance of mission-critical equipment. Willkie previously advised IK Partners in its acquisition of LINXIS in 2017 and numerous other transactions, including its recent acquisition of Batisanté, its acquisition, as member of an investor consortium, of Vivalto Santé, and its investment in Safic-Alcan. IK Partners is a European private equity firm focused on investments in the Benelux, DACH, France, Nordics and the UK. Since 1989, IK has raised more than €14 billion of capital and invested in over 160 European companies. Hillenbrand is a global industrial company operating in over 40 countries and serving a wide variety of industries around the world. The Willkie team is led by partner Eduardo Fernandez and includes partner Gil Kiener and associates Sarah Bibas, Camille Barrabino, Hugo Kerbib, Rudy Merlet and Juline Pottiez.

Jul 20

1 min