July 8, 2025
Willkie is advising Vilmorin & Cie on its entry into exclusive negotiations with Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company (ADQ), a sovereign investor focused on strategic infrastructure and global supply chains. Under the proposed transaction, ADQ would acquire a 35% minority stake in Vilmorin & Cie's Vegetable Seeds business, which would be consolidated within a dedicated entity, Limagrain Vegetable Seeds ("LVS"). This proposed strategic and financial partnership would mark an important step for Vilmorin & Cie and its shareholder Limagrain to strengthen their leadership in the global vegetable seed market.
As part of the proposed collaboration, LVS and Silal, an ADQ portfolio company specializing in food technology, plan to establish an R&D partnership, which would lead to the creation of a joint venture dedicated to the genetics of vegetables adapted to desert regions. The collaboration aims to develop innovative genetic solutions to improve the resilience of vegetable crops to extreme environmental conditions such as intense heat, drought, and salinity.
The Willkie team is led by partners Eduardo Fernandez and Gregoire Finance and includes partners Thomas Binet and Faustine Viala, and associates Victor Cann, Hugo Kerbi, Ghita Lorabi and Maud Boukhris.
