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published DECEMBER 14, 2009

Freshfields advises Springer SBM on its debt re-financing and sale

International law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has advised Springer Science+Business Media, the academic publisher acquired by Cinven and Candover in 2003, and its shareholders, in connection with its debt re-financing and sale to EQT and GIC announced today. Commenting on the transaction, Ian Frost a finance partner at Freshfields who helped put together the debt package said: ‘This is the largest European private equity sponsored leveraged loan financing package arranged since the credit crisis began in summer 2008, and is evidence that there is life in the leveraged loan market and that banks are ready to commit to the right deals for the right companies.‪' Commenting on the sale, Freshfields private equity partner, David Sonter added: 'The sale is the largest European private equity acquisition since the Lehman bankruptcy over 15 months ago and confirms that private equity still has the appetite and capacity to execute on larger acquisitions in difficult financial and trading markets.' The international Freshfields team advising on the deal was led by London finance and corporate partners, Ian Frost and David Sonter, and included fellow partners, Jennifer Bethlehem (London, corporate), Rod Carlton (London, anti-trust), Norbert Schneider (Cologne, tax), Nick Squire (London, employment), Jan Willem van der Staay (Amsterdam, corporate) and Stephan Eilers (Cologne Tax). Anti-trust senior associate Satyen Dhana, finance associate Samuel Weinroth and London corporate associates Will Dobbin, Richard Jones, and Alison Smith also advised on the deal.