Georges Balit

On January 16, Willkie client Weinberg Capital Partners announced the sale of its majority stake in REALEASE Capital to Qualium Investissement. REALEASE Capital is the leading independent pure-player of the equipment leasing market in France. It offers tailor-made financing solutions through a complete and agnostic leasing offer (financial lease, operational lease, etc.) backed by a wide range of financing methods (contract assignments, credit structuring, self-leasing, etc.), and complemented by high value-added services (insurance, evolving contracts, etc.). With an excellent reputation and more than 30 years’ experience, REALEASE Capital has well-established relationships with its pool of funders and its 800 selected suppliers serving more than 7,200 end clients. It currently finances €500 million worth of equipment through approximately 11,000 contracts. The completion of the transaction is subject to approval by the competition authorities. Since Weinberg Capital Partners’ investment in the company in late 2018, REALEASE Capital has doubled both its EBITDA and turnover, which is approximately €170 million. In addition, REALEASE Capital undertook a successful management transition and digitalized the full range of its service offerings and internal processes. Its workforce has grown by close to 40%, notably with key recruitments in the executive management and sales teams. Willkie previously represented Weinberg Capital Partners in its acquisition of REALEASE Capital. The Willkie team in Paris was led by partner Cédric Hajage and included counsel Georges Balit and associates Camille Barrabino and Eden Attias.

Jan 17

1 min

Willkie advised EMG, a leading global provider of broadcast services and media solutions for live sports, entertainment and events, on its business combination with Gravity Media, a global provider of complex live creative production and media services. On January 11, the Boards of Directors of EMG and Gravity Media announced the completion of a definitive agreement to combine their businesses, creating one of the world’s largest broadcast technology and production companies with 30 offices across 12 countries. PAI Partners, which acquired EMG in 2014, will be the majority shareholder of the combined company. Gravity Media is a portfolio company of TowerBrook Capital Partners, which will retain a stake in the combined company. Willkie previously advised PAI Partners on its acquisition of EMG, then known as Euro Media Group. PAI Partners is a pre-eminent private equity firm investing in market-leading companies across the globe. Headquartered in Paris, the firm has approximately €26 billion of assets under management. The Willkie team was led by partner Christophe Garaud and included partner Claire McDaid and counsel Georges Balit, as well as partners Paul Lombard, Faustine Viala, David Kupka and Rahul Saha.

Jan 17

1 min

Weinberg Capital Partners announced that it had entered into exclusive negotiations with Motion Equity Partners for the sale of its majority stake in Résilians. On June 15, Willkie client Weinberg Capital Partners, announced that it had entered into exclusive negotiations with Motion Equity Partners for the sale of its majority stake in Résilians. Founded in 1995 by Alain Tanguy, Résilians is the leading independent provider of in-kind damage repair services in France. The group has developed a complete range of services in the fields of emergency assistance and building renovation. Résilians provides services to individuals and companies on behalf of insurance companies, experts and co-ownership syndicates. Historically present in the West of France, the group has extended its network by opening agencies as well as through structuring acquisitions (3iD and Nüwa). Résilians is also a pioneer in the digitalization of its businesses. In addition to its own developments, the Group notably acquired the digital jobber platform Frizbiz in June 2020. The group now has 1,200 field workers and a unique national network of 42 agencies. Since Weinberg Capital Partners acquired a majority stake alongside the management team and Vespa Capital in 2017, Résilians has more than tripled in size. With an annual organic growth of over 10% and its recent external growth operations, Résilians has passed the 100M in turnover. Founded in 2005, Weinberg Capital Partners is an independent investment firm historically active in buyout capital, which broadened its scope of intervention to real estate assets in 2008. Since 2015, Weinberg Capital Partners has been investing in the capital of French listed SMEs as a minority shareholder with an active, friendly and long-term approach. In 2020, WCP added to its capacity to invest in SMEs with a minority strategy focused on sustainable development issues, which offers extra-financial support to better prepare companies for environmental and societal challenges. With €1.3 billion in assets under management, Weinberg Capital Partners is a key player in the mid-market equity segment in France. The Willkie deal team was led by partner Cédric Hajage and included Counsel Georges Balit, associates Louis Jambu-Merlin and Camille Barrabino on the corporate aspects; partner Paul Lombard and associate Ralph Unger on the finance aspects as well as partner Faustine Viala and associate Sarah Bouchon on the antitrust aspects of the transaction.

Jun 17

2 min

Willkie represented Insight Partners on its majority investment in Cosmo Tech, a market leader in AI Simulation software for enterprise decision making. On December 2, Cosmo Tech, which helps large organizations navigate complexity and uncertainty in enterprise decisioning, announced a majority investment from Insight Partners, with participation from former Accenture executives Phillip Hazen and Gerry Coulter. Following the investment, Cosmo Tech will establish a new office in the DC metro area, anticipated to open in early 2025. In addition to the existing European commercial and product resources, this new base will support the company's North American operations and facilitate closer collaboration with the partner ecosystem and key customers in the manufacturing, transportation, and energy sectors. Insight Partners is a global software investor partnering with high-growth technology, software, and Internet startup and ScaleUp companies. The Willkie team was led by partner Philip Coletto and included counsel Georges Balit and associates Ji-Soo Kim and Julia Radaszkiewicz.

Dec 2

1 min

Willkie advised Waterland Private Equity and its portfolio company Boncolac, a leading French manufacturer of frozen pastries and snacks, in the acquisition of Proper Cornish, a maker of Cornish pasties. The acquisition, announced March 6, continues the international expansion of Boncolac group, furthering its plan to become a pan-European leader in premium frozen pastries and snacking. Willkie previously advised Waterland in its acquisition of Boncolac and Mag'M in July 2022. Waterland is a pan-European private equity investment group headquartered in the Netherlands, with offices in 11 countries. The Willkie team was led by partner Cédric Hajage and included partner Paul Lombard, special European counsel Philippe Grudé, counsel Georges Balit and associate Axel Rogeon.

Mar 9

1 min