Clifford Chance Duesseldorf-based corporate partner Friederike Sandrock advised UK private equity houses Cinven and Candover Investments on their £755m acquisition of German academic publisher Bertelsmann Springer. Cinven and Candover now plan to merge Bertelsmann with Kluwer Academic Publishers. Bertelsmann was advised by Hengeler Mueller Duesseldorf-based corporate partner Axel Baumanns. The deal was funded by Barclays Capital, advised by Linklaters Frankfurt-based corporate partner Florian Drinhausen.
Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw senior partner Paul Maher led the team to advise Canadian investment company Wittington Investments on its £598m acquisition of Selfridges, the UK department store chain. Gowling Lafleur Henderson corporate partner Paul Harricks advised Wittington on Canadian aspects. Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer corporate partners Christopher Bown and Edward Braham advised Selfridges. Deal co-funder, Royal Bank of Canada, was advised by Denton Wilde Sapte finance partner Chris Fanner.
