On April 2, 2019, an investor consortium comprised of Anamered Investments Inc., ANTA Sports Limited, FountainVest Partners and Tencent Holdings Limited completed its acquisition of substantially all of the outstanding securities of Amer Sports Corporation for approximately €5 billion in a tender offer on the Nasdaq Helsinki stock exchange. Amer Sports is a sporting goods company with internationally recognized brands including Salomon, Arc’teryx, Peak Performance, Atomic, Mavic, Suunto, Wilson and Precor. Following the mandatory redemption of the remaining untendered shares of Amer, its shares will be delisted.
The investor consortium intends to invest significant time, resources and effort in helping Amer Sports to accelerate several important ongoing and new strategic initiatives under private ownership, including expanding Amer Sports’ businesses in the Chinese market.
Freshfield Bruckhaus Deringer LLP was international counsel to the Investor Consortium, with a team including Edward Freeman, Alex Mitchell, Daniel French and Alastair Mordaunt.
Bennett Jones LLP represented Anamered Investments Inc., a company owned by Dennis “Chip” Wilson and his family office, in the formation of the investor consortium, settling the governance arrangements and overseeing the acquisition of all outstanding securities of Amer Sports Corporation, with a team led by Jonathan McCullough and including James Beeby, Lisa Stewart, Katie Blundy and Adam Kalbfleisch (Competition). McCarthy Tétrault LLP acted as Canadian counsel to ANTA Sports Limited, FountainVest Partners and Tencent Holdings Limited with a team that included Justin Lapedus, Noel Chow and Paulina Bogdanova (Corporate and Financial Services), Jason Gudofsky, Michael Caldecott and Julien Beaulieu (Competition/Antitrust), and Stefanie Morand and Kabir Jamal (Tax).
Choate Hall & Stewart LLP was US counsel to Anamered, with a team including John Pitfield, Robert Buchanan and Samuel Rudman. RBC Dominion Securities and Fort Capital provided financial advice to Anamered. Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP was counsel to RBC Dominion with a team including Douglas Marshall, Lisa Mantello, Robert Lando and Daniel Tatone.
FountainVest was represented by Kirkland & Ellis LLP, including Tzi-Yang Seow and Daniel Dusek.
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP was international legal advisor to Tencent, whose team consisted of Corrina Yu, Jeannette Chan and Ellie Siu.
Roschier, Attorney Ltd. was Finnish counsel to the Investor Consortium, Fangda Partners were Chinese legal counsel to ANTA Sports, FountainVest and the Offeror in connection with the Tender Offer, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP were Hong Kong legal counsel to ANTA Sports.