KPMG Law advises Questel and IK Investment Partners on the acquisition of a majority stake in Brandstock Group

KPMG Law advises Questel and IK Investment Partners on the acquisition of a majority stake in Brandstock Group

KPMG Law Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH (KPMG Law) advised IP service provider Questel and its owner IK Investment Partners on the acquisition of a majority stake in IP service provider Brandstock Group.

Questel SAS, a French provider of multiple IP services to more than 5,000 customers and one million users in over 30 countries, is a portfolio company of IK Investment Partners and is controlled by IK Investment Partners. IK Investment Partners is a European private equity investment firm based in London that invests in European mid to large-cap companies in a variety of sectors.

The Brandstock Group was founded in 1993 in Munich (still the Group’s headquarters) and has a global presence with offices in the USA, France, Slovenia and Switzerland and 140 employees from 43 countries. Brandstock’s business activities as an international IP service provider and consulting service provider (management consultant) cover numerous aspects of the IP lifecycle and include search research, worldwide coordination and execution of applications, renewals, IP benchmarking, registrations, monitoring, and IP consulting – all with a focus on trademarks as an intellectual property right.

The acquisition of a majority stake in Brandstock is another strategic step for Questel to build an IP service provider offering a wide range of IP and innovation services from a single source. In addition, the acquisition has enabled Questel to expand its market position in IP services, particularly in Germany, and to tap into new markets. The seller retains a minority interest in Brandstock.

After the purchase and assignment agreement regarding the acquisition of the shares in Brandstock was signed in May 2019, the transaction was completed on September 23, 2019, after all closing conditions had been met (in particular clearance of the transaction by the German Federal Cartel Office).

KPMG Law acted as lead legal advisor to Questel/IK Investment Partners on the transaction. The advice included transaction structuring, legal due diligence and overall transaction advisory. KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft performed the tax and financial due diligence and provided tax advice.

Advisor Questel/IK Investment Partners

KPMG Law Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH: Lars-Alexander Meixner LL.M., Partner, Lead Partner, Stuttgart, Alexander Döhl, Senior Manager, Frankfurt, Patrick Winter LL.M., Senior Associate, Stuttgart, all Legal Deal Advisory/M&A; Dr. Gerrit Rixen, Partner, Cologne, Dr. Hannes Schwinn, Senior Manager, Stuttgart, both Antitrust; Andreas Pruksch, Senior Manager, Labor Law, Stuttgart; Sven Krause, Senior Associate, IP, Stuttgart

KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft: Florian Geiger, Partner, Marco Piltz, Senior Manager, both Stuttgart, both M&A Tax; Simon Faiß, Director, Christopher Dring, Senior Manager, both Stuttgart, both Deal Advisory Transaction Services

Seller consultant

O&R GmbH Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft: Dr. Philipp Strümpell, Partner, Patrick Spalek, Senior Associate