Jacob Fontaine

Jacob’s experience includes advising:

M&A

• BorgWarner on the worldwide carve-out of its fuel systems and aftermarket business (today: PHINIA)*
• Continental AG on:
  • The worldwide carve-out of its powertrain business and subsequent IPO of the business unit (today: Vitesco)*
  • Selling businesses in Russia in connection with closing Continental’s Russia business*
  • Acquisition of an unseparated business unit from a Swedish stock corporation*
• Deutsche Giganetz GmbH on corporate matters and equity financing rounds*
• French and Dutch cheese manufacturers on a share-for-share transaction*
• HSH Nordbank AG / HCOB on divesting several loan portfolios*
• Novartis on several site divestments in Europe, including the site in Marburg to BioNTech and the site in Stein/Switzerland to GETEC*
• The shareholders of a German charging infrastructure supplier on its sale to a leading electric vehicle manufacturer*
• Various Tier-1 automotive suppliers on global carve-out transactions and several restructurings*
• Zentiva on acquiring a pharma product portfolio*

Distressed M&A

• L Catterton Partners on its €100 million investment in SellerX, a Germany-based online platform aggregator of third-party ecommerce businesses
• A global investment management firm on a debt-equity swap for a manufacturer of laser communication products
• A US private equity firm on acquiring a major German ecommerce business*
• An automotive Tier-1 supplier on the corporate and financial restructuring and M&A process*
• An insolvency administrator on selling IFA Group to Aequita*
• Siemens Gamesa on acquiring Senvion from the insolvency administrator*
• Takata on selling its business to JSS and ongoing advice on liquidating the remaining Takata Group*
• The shareholders of a German real estate company on a shareholder dispute and StaRUG proceedings*

Private Equity

• Fresenius, a German healthcare company, on selling Vamed’s rehabilitation business to PAI Partners
• Apollo Global Management on its US$3.6 billion take-private of the Barnes Group, an industrial technology and aerospace manufacturer and service provider
• Advent on acquiring a German shipping group*
• Altor and SMS Group on acquiring a 50% interest in KAEFER Group*
• Blackstone on its investment in a German fiber optic infrastructure company*
• EQT on multiple transactions, including its investment in Audibene and Mambu*
• TPG on multiple transactions, including its investment in A&O hostels and several add-on acquisitions*
• Viridium AG, a Cinven portfolio company, on acquiring a life insurance portfolio*

*Matter handled prior to joining Latham