April 25, 2014
PAI makes binding offer to acquire majority stake in Europe’s leading provider of audiovisual facilities and services.
On April 24, Willkie client PAI Partners announced its has offered to acquire a majority stake in Euro Media Group, Europe’s leading provider of audiovisual facilities and services. EMG’s founders and original shareholders, including Barry & Co Media, Sofinim and Banijay Holding (Stephane Courbit’s audiovisual production group), will reinvest alongside PAI Partners in the proposed transaction. Created in 1983 and now operating from seven countries, EMG offers a large range of services to broadcasters and producers for the production and delivery of audiovisual content. Paris-based PAI is a leading European private equity firm that manages €6 billion of dedicated buyout funds.
The cross-border, multidisciplinary Willkie deal team was led by Paris partner Christophe Garaud and included special European counsel Jeffrey Fouts and associates Elise Carrera, Liza Scemama, Mariele Coulet Diaz, Georges Balit and Hugo Nocerino on corporate aspects of the deal. Paris partner David Tayar and associate Alice Guérin advised on the antitrust matters. Partner Mario Schmidt and national partners Octavio de Sousa, Jean Quentin de Cuyper and Massimo Chiais handled the local law aspects in Germany, Belgium and Italy, respectively.