David Tayar

national partners Gregory DeSaxcé, special European counsel Jeffrey Fouts and associates Marie Aubard and Camille Rezette (corporate); special European counsel Charles-Antoine Erignac and associate Perrine Saunier (regulatory); and  partner David Tayar and associate Anouk Falgas (antitrust); New York --  partner Eugene Chang and associate Andrea de Vos (IP); counsel Jonathan Konoff  (antitrust), associate Peter Melampy (corporate), law clerk Peter Coulson (litigation) and due diligence attorney Samuel Neill; and Milan

May 18

1 min

A group led by the firm’s founder, Jay Alix, has agreed to acquire ownership stakes from CVC Capital Partners. On November 6, global advisory firm AlixPartners announced that a group led by the firm’s founder, Jay Alix, and three leading global investors, has agreed to acquire ownership stakes in the business from CVC Capital Partners. Willkie represented Jay Alix in the transaction, which values AlixPartners at more than $2.5 billion. The new ownership structure will include Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, Public Sector Pension Investment Board and Investcorp Group, together with founder and current shareholder Jay Alix. AlixPartners’ managing directors will continue to hold a significant stake in the firm and have access to a new equity system. Founded in 1981, AlixPartners works with clients to help them restore, grow and create sustainable value in high-impact situations. Its services comprise performance improvement; turnaround and restructuring; investigations, disputes and risk; digital transformation; and transformative leadership. CVC acquired a majority stake in AlixPartners in 2012. The firm has since grown from 950 to more than 1,600 professionals and expanded from 17 to 25 offices on four continents. The Willkie deal team was led by partners Thomas Cerabino and Adam Turteltaub, and included partners Laura Delanoy, Jordan Messinger, Hillel Jacobson, Viktor Okasmaa and David Tayar; UK partner Henrietta de Salis; senior counsel Richard Reinhold; counsel Jonathan Konoff; and associates Laura Acker, Frances Dales, Erin Kinney, Halie Klein, Kapiljeet Dargan and Geri Anne McEvoy.

Nov 7

1 min

I@D is a services platform dedicated to the first network of independent real estate agents in France. On September 22, Willkie client IK Investment Partners announced that it, along with Five Arrows Principal Investments (FAPI), had completed the acquisition of I@D Holding, a services platform dedicated to the first network of independent real estate agents in France. The founders, as well as NAXICAP Partners, reinvested 37% of their sale proceeds alongside IK and FAPI. Founded in 2008 as an alternative way of buying and selling residential property, I@D is a fast-growing digital platform offering a large range of value-added support services to independent real estate agents. The company has demonstrated a stellar track record of organic growth since inception and has grown to become the largest network in France with approximately 3,200 local agents and over 11,800 transactions intermediated last year. IK Investment Partners is a pan-European private equity firm focused on investments in the Nordics, DACH region, France and Benelux. The deal team was led by partner Eduardo Fernandez and included partner David Tayar, national partner Grégory de Saxcé, special European counsel Stanislas Curien; and associates Gil Kiener, Mathilde de Wiljes, Louis Jambu Merlin, Ilan Aboukrat and Sara Ortoli.

Sep 27

1 min

A cross-border, multidisciplinary Willkie deal team represents PAI Partners in its pending deal to sell IPH, a European industrial supplies distributor, to Advent International. It was recently announced that Advent International has agreed to acquire IPH, a European industrial supplies distributor, from Willkie client PAI Partners. The pending transaction would combine IPH with Brammer Limited, its British competitor, which Advent took private from the London Stock Exchange earlier this year. Advent intends to create a leading European distributor of industrial supplies, with over €2.1 billion in revenue.  The transaction is subject to the completion of the customary consultation process with the workers’ councils, and the approval of the relevant antitrust authorities. IPH, which was acquired by PAI in 2013, offers power transmission products, machining solutions, industrial supply solutions and product-related services. It serves a range of industries, including chemical, pharmaceutical, food-processing, energy, transport, automotive, petrochemicals and mechanical engineering industries. The group’s revenue has grown from €895 million to €1.3 billion between 2013 and 2016, and the number of its employees increased from 3,280 to 4,350 over the same period. With offices in Paris, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, Munich, New York and Stockholm, PAI Partners is a leading pan-European private equity firm that manages €8.3 billion of dedicated buyout funds. The cross-border, multidisciplinary Willkie deal team was led by Paris partner Christophe Garaud, and included Paris: partner David Tayar, national partner Grégoire Finance, special European counsel Jeffrey Fouts and associates David Lambert, Thomas Saint-Loubert-Bié, Grégoire Dumazy, Camille Lautier, Louis Jambu-Merlin and Mathilde Vannson; Frankfurt: partner Mario Schmidt and associates Stefan Buehrle and Lukas Nein; Brussels: associate David Kupka and Milan: Luca Leonardi, Elena Meloni and Federica Pecorini.

Jun 8

1 min

Willkie’s client, the winning bidding consortium, is slated to acquire France’s 60% interest in the company that controls the airports in the French Riviera. Willkie recently advised the Azzurra consortium (consisting of the Atlantia Group, EDF Invest and Aeoporti di Roma) on the bid for the privatization of Nice’s airport. On July 28, the consortium was deemed the best bidder in the process that will result notably in the sale of the French state’s 60% interest in the company that controls three airports on the French Riviera (Nice – the largest French Airport after Paris – as well as Cannes-Mandelieu and Saint Tropez). The firm advised the bidders on the preparation of the proposal submitted to the State and is accompanying the consortium in the acquisition, financing and regulatory process toward completion of the transaction. The Willkie team was led by partners Thierry Laloum and Amir Jahanguiri and included partner David Tayar; national partner Gabriel Flandin; special European counsel Philippe Grudé; counsel Leonardo Fedrini; and associates Anne-Laure Barel, Perrine Saunier, Gabrielle Reddé, Antoine Bouzanquet, Laure Pistre, Marion Bellemin, Louis Jambu Merlin, Mathilde Ayel, Guillaume Melot, Luca Leonardi and Massimo Palombi.

Aug 26

1 min