Noerr advises Avista Capital on acquisition of 50% stake in Vision Healthcare NV

Noerr has provided Avista Capital with comprehensive German law advice on the acquisition of a participation in Vision Healthcare NV. With the transaction valued at USD 336m in aggregate, the New York-based private equity firm acquired a stake of 50% in one of Europe's fastest-growing omni-channel and direct-to-consumer healthcare companies.

Vision Healthcare is a Belgium-based consumer healthcare platform with sales and operations across continental Europe. It owns and markets a large branded portfolio of self-care and over-the-counter products, including brands like Bärbel Drexel and Vitamin Express in Germany.

Avista Capital has over $6 billion invested in more than 35 growth-oriented healthcare businesses globally and is financing its investment in Vision Healthcare out of the firm’s recently raised fifth fund.

The transaction is subject to customary competition authority review and is expected to close later this year.

A Noerr team led by Georg Schneider and Robert Korndörfer advised on the German law aspects of the transaction, including the acquisition financing and antitrust aspects associated therewith. Ropes & Gray acted as lead counsel to the deal.

Advisors to Avista Capital:

Advisors to German Law: Noerr LLP: Dr Georg Chr. Schneider, Robert Korndörfer (joint lead, Private Equity, both Munich), Dr Fabian Badtke (Antitrust, Frankfurt), Michael Schuhmacher (Financing, Frankfurt), Yvonne Dietzel (Employment, Dresden), Dr Matthias Geurts (Tax, Frankfurt), Dr Torsten Kraul (Digital Business, Berlin), Professor Johannes Kreile (Media, Munich), Dr Michael Reiling (Commercial, Munich), Dr Christoph Rieken (Intellectual Property, Munich), Dr Bärbel Sachs (Foreign Investment, Berlin), Evelyn Schulz (Regulatory, Dresden), Pascal Schumacher (Data Protection, Berlin)

Nicole Kaps, Franziska Nebollieff (both Private Equity, Munich), Dr Lorenz Jarass, Dr Sascha M. Giller (both Antitrust, Frankfurt), Manuel Lomb (Real Estate, Munich), Susann Jahn (Intellectual Property, Alicante), Natalie Oei, Katja Schmitt (both Intellectual Property, Munich), Dr Diana Richter (Commercial, Munich), Pinar Turkac (Finance, Frankfurt), Henrike von dem Berge (Data Protection, Berlin)

Advisors US and UK Law Ropes & Gray

Advisors Dutch and Belgian Law Stibbe