Linklaters advises Solvay on the acquisition of Bayer's global coatings business

Linklaters has advised the Solvay group on the acquisition of Bayer's global coatings business SeedGrowth, which includes facilities in Méréville, France, and tolling operations in the US and Brazil. The business is recognized globally for seed coating and seed enhancement products such as Peridiam, fluency powders, Certop, Pro-Ized Pigment and Talkum, as well as for its research and development capabilities for on-seed formulations.

This acquisition strengthens Solvay's existing portfolio of bio-based solutions and offers reinvestment opportunities to Bayer.

The Méréville facility's entire product portfolio, R&D projects and the business line's international tolling operations are now fully transferred to Solvay. The Méréville site has 36 permanent employees and conducts industry-leading research and development of application technologies for seeds, such as seed coating and filming processes, representing around 20% of the site's activity, while the remaining 80% is dedicated to research and formulation of aqueous solutions called film-coaters. The film-coaters developed at the Méréville site are exported and used in 35 countries all over the world.

Solvay will remain a strategic partner for Bayer’s for seed activities thanks to exclusive supplier status for film-coating to be used for Bayer SeedGrowth products on Bayer seeds for a period of at least five years.

Linklaters' multi-jurisdictional team was led in Paris by Partner Pierre Thomet and comprised Benjamin Prévost, Managing Associate and Aude Pianet, Associate in Corporate / M&A; Françoise Maigrot, Partner and Camille Lapeyre Sabatie de Chavardes, Associate in Real Estate; Cyril Boussion, Partner in Tax; Simon Corbineau-Picci, Managing Associate in Intellectual Property; and Pierre Sikorav, Managing Associate in Public Law.

Linklaters' teams in Düsseldorf and Brussels were also involved.