CSL Limited public tender offer to acquire Vifor Pharma. The advisors
CSL Limited, a global biotechnology company based in Australia and Vifor Pharma, a Swiss-based global pharmaceutical company, entered into an agreement for CSL to launch an all-cash public tender offer to acquire all publicly held shares in Vifor for USD 179.25 per share, for an aggregate equity value for Vifor of USD 11.7 billion. Vifor’s board of directors unanimously recommends the offer. Vifor’s largest shareholder, Patinex, holding 23.2%, has agreed to tender its shares into the offer.
The agreement was announced on the Australian Stock Exchange and SIX Swiss Exchange 14 December, 2021.
The advisors
Homburger, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett and Allens are acting as joint legal advisors to CSL Limited.
The Homburger team is led by partners Dieter Gericke and Daniel Häusermann (corporate / m&a) and comprises counsel Micha Fankhauser (corporate / m&a), partners Reto Heuberger and Stefan Oesterhelt (both tax), Benjamin Leisinger (financing and investment products), Richard Stäuber (competition, regulatory), Andri Hess and Luca Dal Molin (both IP / IT), associates Olivier Bühlmann, Francesco Bernasconi and Estelle Piccard (all corporate / m&a), David Waldmeier (competition, regulatory), Sandrine Chabbey (financing and investment products), Marco Bächtold (employment & executive compensation), Philippe Gobet (tax), as well as junior associates Adrian Bühlmann, Cédric Berger, Tanja Niederer, Joel Schmidt and Lars Schöni.
PJT Partners is acting as lead financial advisor to CSL. BofA Securities and Goldman Sachs are also acting as financial advisors to CSL. Credit Suisse is acting as Tender Offer Manager in Switzerland and financial advisor to CSL. Gresham Advisory Partners Limited is acting as an independent advisor to the Board of Directors of CSL Limited.
Bär & Karrer acted as legal advisor to Vifor. The team consisted of partners Rolf Watter, Dieter Dubs and associate Stefanie Walch (all corporate/m&a), partner Mani Reinert and junior associate Martin Werner (both competition Law) as well as partner Susanne Schreiber (tax).
