A team at Olswang has successfully agreed the sale of OFI Private Equity Capital to Eurazeo, one of Europe’s leading investment companies. OFI Private Equity Capital is a NYSE Euronext-listed French investment company specialising in SME majority investments. In acquiring the private equity house, Eurazeo deepens its support of French SMEs whilst strengthening its position in the French and European private equity markets across a number of sectors.

 

OFI Private Equity invests as a majority shareholder in SMEs and has a suggested value of 132m Euros. The company’s current portfolio consists of 10 companies, each strongly positioned in their markets and led by experienced management teams. In joining Eurazeo, the main shareholders (including Macif) of OFI Private Equity Capital will contribute all of their investments held in OFI Private Equity Capital, its management company and its general partner in exchange for new Eurazeo shares. Completion of the transaction is subject to conditions precedent, including antitrust and regulatory approvals. Upon completion, OFI Private Equity will become a controlled, autonomous subsidiary of Eurazeo, sharing its investment philosophy as it concentrates fully on its search for new SME investment opportunities. An exchange tender offer will then be launched by Eurazeo on the equity financial instruments of OFI Private Equity Capital.

 

The Olswang team advising OFI Private Equity Capital was led by Guillaume Kessler and Vanina Paolaggi with support from Jessica Schinkel (Corporate), Stéphan Alamovitch, Christophe Garcia and Yelena Vodjevic (Finance), Julien Monsenego and Rui Cabrita (Tax). This transaction is the latest from Olswang’s French office, having established in Paris in February of this year. Eurazeo was advised by Bredin Prat and Macif was advised by Mayer Brown.