King & Wood Mallesons is delighted to have assisted Lion on its strategic acquisition of the Fermentum Group. The Fermentum Group is comprised of leading brands, including the flagship Stone & Wood, Two Birds, Fixation, Little Dragon and Sunly Seltzer.
In partnership with Lion's internal legal deal team led by Richard Ballinger and Saira Zaki, the KWM team advised Lion on negotiating and documenting the transaction, and various commercial, legal and regulatory aspects of the acquisition. The KWM team was led by M&A Partner Meredith Paynter and M&A Senior Associate Mark Vanderneut, with key support from a range of colleagues including Partners Sharon Henrick, Scott Bouvier, Malcolm Brennan and Max Allan; and lawyers Christopher Kok, Mandy Tsang, Rebecca Stanley, Astrid Sugden, and Lenny Andreev.
Commenting on the deal, Meredith Paynter said:
"This transaction represents a significant milestone, especially as the acquisition will build on Lion's proven record of growing unique businesses, including Little Creatures in beer through to Four Pillars and Vanguard Luxury Spirits. We are thrilled to have supported the Lion team on this project, and are looking forward to watching Fermentum's next chapter unfold as part of Lion."
Most recently, the KWM team advised Lion on the sale of the Lion Dairy and Drinks business to Bega Cheese Limited, which completed in January 2021.
