Søren Storgaard, partner hos DreistStorgaard og klientansvarlig, har sammen med et stærkt team bistået med rådgivning til COWINS forsikringsmæglerkoncernen i forbindelse med salget af en majoritetsandel til den svenske konkurrent Max Matthiessen.
COWINS-koncernen består af Cowins International Forsikringsmæglerselskab A/S og Conect Insurance Agency ApS og er Max Matthiesens fjerde opkøb i Danmark på under et år. Max Matthiessen er ejet af kapitalfonden Nordic Capital.
COWINS-koncernen er ejet af fem partnere med Steen Douglas Bruun som majoritetsaktionær, og Steen har været klient hos DreistStorgaard i en årrække.
Om valget af DreistStorgaard som rådgiver ved salget af virksomheden siger Steen:
"Det er en tillidssag, hvem man skal have med på sidelinjen, når det, man har arbejdet på at udvikle i mange år, skal sælges. Vi kender DreistStorgaard for høj kvalitet, professionalisme og tilgængelighed, og derfor valgte vi Søren og hans team. Det har vi ikke fortrudt. DS-folkene har leveret det, vi spurgte efter."
DreistStorgaard-teamet bestod udover Søren Storgaard af juridisk sagsbehandler Janne Brustad og jurist Casper Simonsen, advokat Morten Lindkvist Nielsen og partner Nikolaj Juhl Hansen.
Nikolaj siger om COWINS-sagen:
"Det var jo derfor, at Martin Skovbjerg og jeg tog til DreistStorgaard for snart to år siden: der er utroligt mange spændende og veldrevne virksomheder i DreistStorgaards portefølje, og de tiltrækker sig naturligt opmærksomhed fra udenlandske købere, og de processer har vi stor erfaring med at styre. I denne konkrete situation var det også en virksomhed inden for finansielle ydelser, hvor vi har en ekstra styrke at bidrage med. Det er jo faktisk mennesker, vi rådgiver, og det er helt fantastisk spændende at være med på den rejse, hvor klienter, der har knoklet for at udvikle noget, veksler det hårde arbejde til en god transaktion."
DreistStorgaard rådgav COWINS-koncernen om alle aspekter af transaktionen, herunder etablering af datarum, håndtering af due diligence på køberside, forhandling af transaktionsdokumenter samt ansættelsesretlige emner.
Advokat Morten Lindkvist er for nyligt kommet til DreistStorgaard og har styrket firmaet på det ansættelsesretlige område, som også var hans rolle i transaktionen. DreistStorgaards managing partner, Svend-Aage Dreist Hansen, er glad for Mortens ankomst:
"Morten kommer fra Dansk Industri og bidrager med stor erfaring inden for alle områder af det ansættelsesretlige felt. En virkelig styrkelse af teamet vi har kunnet tiltrække der."
Max Matthiessen blev bistået af det svenske advokatfirma Cederquist og havde tillige Plesner og EY med på sidelinjen.
DreistStorgaard's M&A team advises on yet another cross-border M&A deal
“We are currently keeping quite busy on a large number of M&A deals” says Søren Storgaard, partner at DreistStorgaard and client manager for the advice to the insurance brokerage group COWINS in connection with the sale of a majority stake to the Swedish competitor Max Matthiessen.
The COWINS group consists of Cowins International Forsikringsformidling A/S and Conect Insurance Agency ApS and is Max Matthiessen’s fourth acquisition in Denmark in less than a year. Max Matthiessen is owned by the private equity fund Nordic Capital.
And, Søren continues: “Many of our regular owner-led clients are currently being ‘tapped on the shoulder’ by foreign buyers with an appetite for the Danish market. This make up for busy times”
COWINS is owned by five partners, with Steen Douglas Bruun as the majority shareholder, and Steen has been a client of DreistStorgaard for many years.
On choosing DreistStorgaard as the advisor for the transaction, Steen says: “It is a matter of trust who you should have by your side when what you have worked on developing for many years is going to be sold. We know DreistStorgaard for their high quality, professionalism and availability, and that was the reason for chosing Søren and his team. That we have not regretted. The DS team delivered what we asked for.”
The DreistStorgaard team, in addition to Søren Storgaard, consisted of legal assistant Janne Brustad, lawyer Casper Simonsen, attorney Morten Lindkvist Nielsen and partner Nikolaj Juhl Hansen.
Nikolaj comments on the COWINS case: “That’s why Martin Skovbjerg and I joined DreistStorgaard almost two years ago: there are so many exciting and well-run companies in DreistStorgaard’s portfolio, and they naturally attract the attention of foreign buyers, and we have extensive experience with these processes. In this specific case, it was a financial services sector deal, where we have an extra strength to contribute. We are advising the persons behind the business, and it’s incredibly exciting to be part of the journeys where clients who have worked hard to develop something can turn all that hard work into a successful transaction.”
DreistStorgaard advised COWINS on all aspects of the transaction, including establishing a data room, handling due diligence on the buyer’s side, negotiating transaction documents and advising on employment law issues.
Attorney Morten Lindkvist recently joined DreistStorgaard and has strengthened the firm in the employment law area, which was also his role in the transaction. DreistStorgaard’s managing partner, Svend-Aage Dreist Hansen, is pleased with Morten’s arrival: “Morten comes from Dansk Industri and contributes with extensive experience in all areas of employment law. A significant strengthening of the team we have been able to attract.”
Max Matthiessen was assisted by the Swedish law firm Cederquist and also had Plesner and Deloitte on their side.
More about the transaction here:
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