Willkie represented Vilmorin & Cie, one of the world’s leading seed companies, in connection with French agricultural cooperative Limagrain’s simplified public tender offer for the shares of Vilmorin & Cie, a transaction that values the company at €1.43 billion.

Limagrain launched the simplified public tender offer on June 22 to acquire the 28.78% of the Vilmorin & Cie shares that it did not already own at €62.60 per share, representing a premium of 45.4%. Limagrain sought to delist Vilmorin & Cie in order to facilitate long-term investment decisions in a highly competitive seed industry and an uncertain economic environment.

Vilmorin & Cie’s board of directors unanimously recommended the offer to shareholders. On July 18, Vilmorin & Cie announced that Limagrain successfully crossed the threshold of 90% of Vilmorin & Cie's capital and voting rights, enabling the implementation of the mandatory withdrawal of Vilmorin & Cie from the stock market.

The Willkie team was led by partners Fabrice Veverka and Eduardo J. Fernandez and included associate Victor Cann.