On June 18, 2015, Alltech, Inc. completed its acquisition of all of the outstanding common shares of Ridley Inc., by way of a plan of arrangement, for approximately $521 million. Before its acquisition, Ridley was publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange and was one of the largest commercial animal nutrition businesses in North America. With the completion of the acquisition, the combined company is a global leader is animal health and nutrition with annual revenues in excess of US$1.6 billion and a presence in 128 countries with 77 manufacturing facilities and approximately 4,200 employees globally.
Alltech was represented in-house by Michael Castle, Vice President and Chief Legal Officer and Brad Harris, corporate counsel; in Canada by Brian Pukier, Slavica Stojimirovic, Daniel Borlack (M&A), Paul Collins, Michael Laskey (competition), John Lorito and Lindsay Gwyer (tax) of Stikeman Elliott LLP; and in the US by Robert Welp, Kevin Greenslade, Gordon Wilson, Phillip Brown, Carly Deckelboim, Lydia Hwang (M&A), Carin Carithers, Michael DeLarco (employment), Daniel Davidson, Christine Lane; Margaret McIntyre (tax), Scott Reisch, Seaton Thedinger, Ryan Sklar, Marta Antonia Orpiszewska (environmental), James Johnson, Jason (FDA regulatory), Leigh Oliver (competition), Cullen Taylor, (intellectual property), Thomas Cummins (litigation) of Hogan Lovells US LLP.
Ridley was represented in in Canada by Paul Mingay, Paul Simon and Sienne Lam (M&A and securities), Steve Suarez (tax), and James Douglas, Ewa Krajewska and Rahim Jamal (litigation) of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP; and in the US by Gary Koch, Dustan Cross and David Sturgis (M&A) of Gislason & Hunter LLP.
The special committee of Ridley was represented by Vincent Mercier and Jason Galbraith (M&A) of Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP.
Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited, which held approximately 78 per cent of the common shares of Ridley before its acquisition, was represented in Canada by David Chaikof, Thomas Yeo and Simonne Horwitz (M&A) of Torys LLP.