Willkie advised ARDIAN in the transaction. Willkie advised ARDIAN, a leading private equity company, on its sale of Gantner Electronic Austria Holding GmbH, a high-tech company specializing in electronic access, ticketing and accounting systems, and intelligent cabinet locking systems, to SALTO Systems ("Salto"), a leading manufacturer of access controls and electronic locking solutions. Founded in 1982 and based in Nüziders, Austria, Gantner is one of Europe's leading suppliers of systems-based RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and NFC (Near Field Communication) technology for automated and contactless identification. Gantner provides integrated solutions for membership and visitor management and cashless payments, as well as for access control (doors, cabinets and lockers) and time recording for operational organization and security. Salto, headquartered in Spain with offices in 32 countries, is a global leader in the development and manufacturing of access control solution in critical safety sectors and is known for its innovative stand-alone and battery-powered electronic lock, the Salto Virtual Network (SVN). Salto’s diversified portfolio further includes software management, cloud solutions and mobile applications. It is expected that, with the addition of the Gantner portfolio, Salto will now have the combined strength and joint capacity of one million access points annually. The Willkie team was led by Frankfurt partner Dr. Maximilian Schwab and associate Dr. Matthias Schudlo, and included associates Jane Hentz, Fabiana Bauer-Obermeier and Christopher Clerihew.