Curtis Advises Européenne des Desserts with Regard to 2nd LBO

Paris, November 8, 2013 - Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP advised the management of Européenne des Desserts, a leading French company in the pastry industry, in relation to its expected second leveraged buy-out with Equistone Partners Europe.

After a competitive process led by BNP Paribas, Européenne des Desserts entered into exclusive negotiations with Equistone Partners Europe. The transaction is financed by unitranche funds, which combine senior and subordinated debt into one debt instrument and are provided by private investment advisor Ardian Mezzanine (formerly Axa Mezzanine and Axa Private Debt).

The Perigord-based company, owned since 2009 by Céréa Partenaire and Azulis Capital and originally known as Martine Spécialités, has become a leader in its industry for both retail and catering professionals, with more than 800 employees and a projected turnover of 140 million for 2013.

Curtis advised the management of Européenne des Desserts with a team led by partner Henri Pieyre de Mandiargues and associates Diana Hund, Felix Huon and Julie Seroka.

Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP is a leading international law firm providing a broad range of services to clients around the world. Curtis has 15 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia. The firm's international orientation has been a hallmark of its practice for nearly two centuries. For more information about Curtis, please visit www.curtis.com or follow Curtis on Twitter (twitter.com/curtislawfirm) and Facebook (Facebook.com/Curtis.Careers).

The Curtis Paris office was founded in 1973 and offers some two dozen attorneys counseling clients in areas such as mergers and acquisitions, banking and finance, tax, litigation and international arbitration. Curtis advises listed and privately-held mid-cap companies and investment funds on the full range of corporate activities, including LBOs, IPOs, venture capital transactions and management incentive packages.