Latham & Watkins Advises Karnov Group on Offer To Acquire Legal Information Businesses of Thomson Reuters in Spain and Wolters Kluwer in Spain and France

Latham & Watkins has advised Karnov Group on its binding offer to acquire the entire share capital and voting rights of Wolters Kluwer France, Wolters Kluwer Spain and Thomson Reuters Spain (together the “Transaction Entities”) and certain subsidiaries and the transfer of certain IP rights for a consideration of approximately EUR 160 million on a cash- and debt-free basis. 

Building on the combined footprint of the Transaction Entities, Karnov would become a European player with strong market presence in Spain and France, providing an outstanding platform for a strengthened customer offering and further international expansion. Completion of the transaction is envisaged to occur no later than during 2022, subject to clearance by the Spanish Antitrust Authority. 

The cross-border, multidisciplinary Latham team was led by corporate partners Ignacio Pallarés in Madrid and Alexander Benedetti and Jean-Luc Juhan in Paris, with Madrid associates Carmen Esteban and Marta Portuondo and Paris associates Romain Nairi, Rim Benzakour and Alex Park.  Advice was also provided on antitrust matters by Madrid partner José María Jiménez-Laiglesia, with associate Carlos Betoret; on employment matters by Madrid partner Naiara Rodríguez-Escudero, with Madrid associate Guillermo Ruiz de Salazar; on compliance matters by Madrid associate Leticia Sitges, with Paris associate Agathe Flandre; and on finance matters by Madrid associate Aitor Errasti. Bruun & Hjejle Advokatpartnerselskab also advised Karnov on corporate and M&A matters, with partners Andreas Nielsen and Mogens Ebeling.