January 10, 2019
Willkie represented Vilmorin & Cie, one of the world’s leading seed companies, in its recent acquisitions of two independent South American seed companies, Sursem (Argentina) and Geneze (Brazil).
On November 5, it was announced that Willkie client Vilmorin & Cie, one of the world’s leading seed companies, acquired two independent South American seed companies, Sursem and Geneze, from the investment fund Pampa Agribusiness.
Sursem and Geneze breed, produce and distribute mainly hybrid corn seeds, in addition to wheat, sunflower and soybean seeds. Sursem is active in Argentina and Geneze in Brazil. With four research centers and two production sites, the two companies also have an extensive commercial network.
Together, Sursem and Geneze generated $40 million in sales in 2017. The acquisition will allow Vilmorin & Cie to cross a new major threshold in the internationalization of its field seeds business, reinforcing its organization and its commercial positions with respect to major crops in South America.
With more than 7,000 employees worldwide, Vilmorin & Cie, listed on Euronext Paris develops vegetable and field seeds with high added value contributing to meeting global food requirements.
The cross-border Willkie deal team, which worked in close collaboration with Vilmorin’s group general counsel Dominique Rouchon, was led by partners Eduardo Fernandez (Paris) and Maria-Leticia Ossa Daza (New York), and included associate Anna Martini Pereira and law clerks Lorena Garcia, Pablo Hontoria and Manuela Velasquez (New York).
