UGGC Avocats advises Holcim France on the acquisition of the ALKERN Group

UGGC Avocats advised Holcim Investments (France) on the acquisition of the Alkern Group, a major industrial player in the precast concrete sector, from Chequers Capital (majority shareholder) and other minority shareholders. The FrenchCompetition Authority (Autorité de la Concurrence), following a full referral decision by the European Commission, authorized the acquisition unconditionally and ahead of schedule.

During its review, the Autorité ruled out any risk of harm to competition on the markets on which the parties’ activities would be combined (aggregates, mortar and load-bearing wall building materials markets), and noted that the transaction would not give rise to any “significant change in the structure of competition on these markets, given Alkern’s limited position on them”.

The Holcim group is present in France through its subsidiary Holcim France, to which Lafarge France, headquartered in Issy-les-Moulineaux (92), handles cement, concrete and aggregates operations, and PRB, in La Mothe-Achard (85), handles building coatings products.

The Alkern Group is a French leader in the prefabrication of concrete elements for low-carbon building methods, offering sustainable urban development solutions, with the capacity to infiltrate surface water, and offering products for embellishing outdoor spaces (gardens, swimming pools, roads).

Legal advice

Holcim Investments (France) is advised by UGGC Avocats with a team comprising :
– Ali Bougrine (managing partner), Olivia Tassan (associate), Carole Fouldrin (associate) and Victoria Durando (associate) in corporate law;
– Michel Ponsard (partner), Malka Marcinkowski (associate), Elodie Camous-Léonard (associate), Pierre-Yves Laurioz (associate) and Clémentine Lacotte (associate) in competition law;

Chequers Capital and the other minority partners are advised by Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, with a team comprising :
– Frédéric Cazals (partner) and Louise Faure (associate) in corporate law