July 3, 2012
Air Liquide, the world’s leading producer of gases, including oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen and rare gases, successfully completes a private placement of senior unsecured notes.
It was recently announced that Willkie client Air Liquide, the world’s leading producer of gases, including oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen and rare gases, successfully completed a private placement of an aggregate principal amount of $700 million in senior unsecured notes pursuant to the registration exemption available under Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The private placement involves more than 20 investors and is comprised of issuances of three series of notes: $400 million of 10-year term notes due in 2022; $200 million of 12-year term notes due in 2024; and $100 million of 15-year term notes due in 2027.
With€14.5 billion in revenue in 2011, Air Liquide employees 46,200 people in 80 countries. The company has about 5,000 employees in the United States in over 200 locations, serving a range of sectors, including electronics and healthcare.
The deal was handled by partner Eduardo Fernandez and associates Michaël Armandou and Hugo Nocérino. In the first six months of 2012, Mr. Fernandez and his team have advised on Section 4(2) private placements by French issuers with a total value of $2.1 billion.
