Weil is advising Bain Capital on its acquisition and financing of a 60% stake in Kantar, valuing the global market research business at c.$4 billion. Founded in 1993, Kantar employs over 30,000 people operating in over a hundred countries worldwide. The deal is expected to close in 2020, subject to certain conditions, including shareholder and regulatory approvals.
The Weil team is led by Private Equity partner Marco Compagnoni and associate Lewis Blakey, and also includes Banking & Finance partners Tom Richards and Patrick Bright, and associates Adam Faulkner and Isabel Carvalho; Technology & IP Transactions partner Barry Fishley and associate Briony Pollard; and Tax partner Oliver Walker and associate Ellie Marques. Additional members of the team are Corporate associates Martin Weatherston-Wilson, Grace Smith and Matthew Edstein, and Antitrust associate Neil Rigby.