October 16, 2019
Willkie represented FFL Partners and CPI, the leading provider of behavior management and crisis prevention training programs, in the transaction.
On October 15, FFL Partners, a private equity firm focused on growth investments in middle market companies, announced that it has reached an agreement to sell Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI), the leading provider of behavior management and crisis prevention training programs, to leading European investment firm Wendel for an enterprise value of $910 million. Willkie represented FFL Partners and CPI in the transaction, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2019, subject to customary conditions and regulatory approvals.
CPI specializes in "train the trainer" programs that teach and certify individuals to instruct staff at their organizations to assess, manage, and safely resolve instances of high-risk, disruptive or aggressive behavior in the workplace. Since FFL's investment in 2016, CPI has made significant transformative investments across the organization. The company has built a robust product development function, implemented key tech-enabled business processes and developed stronger eLearning capabilities.
Based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, CPI employs 316 people globally and has an installed base of approximately 38,000 active Certified Instructors, training over 1.4 million individuals annually and more than 15 million professionals in North America, Europe and elsewhere since inception.
FFL Partners is a San Francisco-based private equity firm with over $4.5 billion under management. FFL invests in business services, industrials, consumer products and services, financial services, and healthcare services.
The Willkie deal team was led by partner Neil Townsend and included partners David Cosgrove and Russell Pinilis, and associates Thomas Spencer, Hugh McLaughlin and Timothy Sullivan.
