Overview
LONDON (27 March 2014) — International law firm McDermott Will & Emery advised on the sale of Alucan Investments Limited, the BVI registered holding company of Alucan Packaging Limited (“Alucan”), to Nampak Limited (“Nampak”), for an aggregate purchase price of US$301 million. Nampak is funding the acquisition through available cash resources and existing debt facilities.
Alucan is an aluminium beverage can manufacturing business located in Agbara, Nigeria, producing beverage cans for the beer, malt and soft drinks industry in Nigeria at a current capacity of 1.1 billion cans per annum with installed civil engineering for a second line potentially adding a further 1.1 billion capacity. Nampak, Africa’s largest packaging company, is listed on the Johannesburg stock exchange.
London Corporate Partner and member of McDermott’s Africa Group, Nick Azis led the McDermott Will & Emery team with support from associates Ellie West, Matthew Herrington, and Paris partner Jacob Grierson. DLA Piper UK LLP advised Nampak.
The transaction follows McDermott’s long established relationship advising Olam International in transactions in West Africa, which included advice on Olam’s acquisition of Crown Flour Mills for US$107 million in 2010 and OK Foods for US$167 million in 2012. Last year McDermott’s Africa practice was joined by Rupert Weber and Stuart Matthews in London, specialising in English law governed direct investment into the continent and Jean-Claude Petilon and Matthieu Adam in Paris, specialising in projects.
About McDermott Will & Emery UK LLP in London
McDermott’s London office complements the Firm’s capabilities in Belgium, France, Italy and Germany. McDermott in Europe has extensive experience of advising institutions, corporates and management on the acquisitions and disposals of private equity assets.
About McDermott Will & Emery’s Africa Group
McDermott lawyers have been practising in Africa for more than 30 years working on projects, investments and corporate activities in every part of the continent. Of the 54 recognised countries in Africa, our lawyers have been involved in projects and investments in 45 of those countries.
About McDermott Will & Emery’s Food, Beverage and Agribusiness Industry Group
McDermott represent more than 500 clients in the Food, Beverage and Agribusiness sector, with many of these relationships stretching back for decades. We advise all participants in the value chain—growers, processors, input suppliers, cooperatives, food manufacturers, importers, distributors, trade associations, retailers, restaurants and other stakeholders—across the range of issues affecting the production, distribution and marketing of food, beverages and related products.
About McDermott Will & Emery
McDermott Will & Emery is a premier international law firm with a diversified business practice. Numbering more than 1,100 lawyers, we have offices in Boston, Brussels, Chicago, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Milan, Munich, New York, Orange County, Paris, Rome, Seoul, Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C. Further extending our reach into Asia, we have a strategic alliance with MWE China Law Offices in Shanghai.
