Overview
PARIS (August 7, 2017) – International law firm McDermott Will & Emery advised the shareholders of La Maison du Whisky (LMDW), a family owned company specialized in the importation and distribution of premium whiskies and spirits, in the investment by RAISE, a capital investment company, as a minority shareholder into the Group.
Founded in 1956 by Georges Bénitah and based in Paris, LMDW was, until now, 100% owned by the founding family and is led by the son of the founder, Thierry Bénitah. After being the originators of the import of Scottish single malt in France and then of Japanese whiskey in Europe, the Group now manages a much diversified portfolio of fine spirits: whiskey, rum, gin, calvados, cognac or armagnac.
With this transaction, RAISE will bring its strategic and financial expertise to this new milestone in LMDW’s development. It will also support the Group in its ambitious strategy of expanding into new markets in France and abroad.
RAISE takes a minority interest in the capital of LMDW, whereas Thierry Bénitah, Chairman and CEO of LMDW, becomes the controlling shareholder of the Group and Sophie and Alban Neveux, family shareholders, remain key shareholders at the same level as the financial partner.
The McDermott team advising the family shareholders of LMDW on corporate aspects of the deal was led by Transactions partner Henri Pieyre de Mandiargues, and included Counsel Félix Huon.
McDermott’s Corporate & Transactional Practice represents business interests around the world, from global corporations and industry-leading companies to privately funded and entrepreneurial driven enterprises, private equity sponsors and the financial institutions that support them. McDermott consistently ranks in the leading league tables, including Mergermarket, Thomson Reuters, Bloomberg and PitchBook. The Corporate & Transactional Practice Group was named “Team of the Year” for Middle Market M&A/Buyouts by The Legal 500 and is highly ranked by Chambers in the United States, France, Germany and the United Kingdom.
About McDermott
McDermott Will & Emery is a premier international law firm with a diversified business practice. Numbering more than 1,000 lawyers, we have offices in Boston, Brussels, Chicago, Dallas, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Milan, Munich, New York, Orange County, Paris, Rome, Seoul, Silicon Valley and Washington, DC. Further extending our reach into Asia, we have a strategic alliance with MWE China Law Offices in Shanghai. www.mwe.com
