NielsenIQ and GfK SE, two global information services providers, announced a definitive agreement through which the companies plan to combine. Closing of the merger is subject to customary closing conditions. The current owners of GfK SE, Nürnberg Institut für Marktentscheidungen e.V. (NIM) und Acceleratio Topco S.C.A., a holding company owned by funds advised by KKR, remain invested in the combined company as significant shareholders. Advent International will hold the majority. Advent International had acquired NielsenIQ in 2021.
Hengeler Mueller advises KKR on the transaction. The team is led by Elisabeth Kreuzer (Munich) and Christian Schwandtner (Düsseldorf) (both M&A) and includes partner Hendrik Bockenheimer (Employment, Frankfurt), counsel Matthias Cloppenburg (Corporate), Susanne Koch (Public Law) and Patrick Wilkening (IP/IT) (All Düsseldorf) as well as associates Tobias Schilling (Corporate/M&A, Berlin), Selina Rohr (Employment, Frankfurt), Alexander von Bernstorff, Okan Isikay (both Corporate/M&A, Düsseldorf), Tom Shingler (Financing) and Patrick Schmidt (IP/IT) (both Frankfurt).
Hengeler Mueller is working on the transaction with US firm Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP (partner Mark D. Pflug, New York City).
Hengeler Mueller had already advised KKR on the acquisition of the shareholding in GfK through a takeover offer and the subsequent squeeze-out.