News | By practice area

Thursday 12th July 2007

Last week, SJ Berwin advised on four transactions each valued at over a billion Euros for four key clients - the $1.7 billion all-cash acquisition of Samsonite Corporation for CVC Capital Partners; the €1.8 billion acquisition of GEHAG Group for Deutsche Wohnen; the €1.2 billion acquisition of HEMA B.V. for Lion Capital and the £1 billion sale of Citigroup's Canary Wharf European headquarters, 25 Canada Square for The Royal Bank of Scotland.

Steven Davis, Head of Corporate commented: "The past few years has seen the size of transaction that our corporate teams advise on increase substantially.  We are now regularly advising on transactions with a value upwards of €500 million.  This year has been no exception with four transactions valued at over a billion Euros being closed in the past week.  The size and complexity of these transactions reflects the strength and depth of our corporate practice across Europe with transactions being led and advice provided from our offices in France, Germany, Italy and the UK."

These closings following closely on the news that we are currently ranked No 1 in the mergermarket European buyouts by volume table for the first half of 2007 with our Paris office enjoying a slot at No 1 in France at the same time.  In June, we were named "Corporate Team of the Year - Mid Markets" at 2007 The Lawyer Awards for our work advising Merchant Equity Partners on the purchase of MFI Retail.

For further information, please contact:

Steven Davis, Head of Corporate on +44 (0) 20 7111 2988 or by emailing steven.davis@sjberwin.com

Dr. Michael Roos, Partner on +49 (69) 505032-170 or by emailing: michael.roos@sjberwin.com

Alberto Morano, Partner on +39 02 36 57 57 01 or by emailing alberto.morano@sjberwin.com

Aurelia Spivey, Business Development Manager on 020 7111 2060 or by emailing aurelia.spivey@sjberwin.com

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• With more than 200 corporate finance lawyers, the depth and breadth of expertise of our pan-European Corporate Finance Department is considerable.  We offer the complete range of corporate finance services, which extends to all aspects of domestic and cross-border M&A and buy-outs, private equity, equity capital markets, financial services and tax.  Our buyouts team is currently ranked No 1in the mergermarket European buyouts by volume table for the first half of 2007.
  
  
• SJ Berwin was created and thrives as a leading-edge legal services business, focusing on the European and international market place. Our clients are sophisticated buyers of legal services, principally entrepreneurial companies and financial institutions, whom we advise on a comprehensive range of services including Corporate, Commercial, Real Estate, Finance, Reconstruction & Insolvency, Financial Services, Litigation, Employment & Pensions, EU & Competition and Tax.
  
  
• The private equity team has won a number of recent awards including:
  - "Corporate Team of the Year - Mid Markets" at The Lawyer Awards 2007,
  - "Fund Formation Team of the Year" 2006 at the Financial News Awards for Excellence in Private Equity Advisory Services,
  - "European Law Firm of the Year" 2004 -  2006 at the EVCA/Real Deals European Private Equity Awards,
  - "European Law Firm of the Year" (fund formation) 2001 - 2007 by subscribers to PrivateEquityOnline and Private Equity          International
  - "Private Equity Law Firm of the Year" 2004 -  2007 at the European Venture Capital journal awards 2004
  - "LBO Firm of the Year" 2004 at the Finance and Law Awards in Paris
  
  
• On 1 June 2005, SJ Berwin became SJ Berwin LLP, a limited liability partnership. www.sjberwin.com.  SJ Berwin LLP or an affiliated undertaking has an office in Berlin, Brussels, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Paris and Turin.