Noteworthy Work
K&L Gates Acts for Sweden's Sinch in US$1.3 Billion Australian Acquisition
Sydney – Global law firm K&L Gates LLP is advising Stockholm, Sweden-based Sinch AB (Sinch), a global leader in cloud communications and telecommunications for mobile customer engagement, on the acquisition of SMS marketing technology company MessageMedia through a cash and stock transaction valued at US$1.3 billion (AU$1.7 billion).
MessageMedia offers a web-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) suite leveraging two-way messaging through a highly automated and scalable tech platform that is purposefully tailored to meet the specific needs of small and medium-sized businesses.
The global team advising Sinch consisted of lawyers from K&L Gates’ Australian, German, U.S., and UK offices, allowing the team to efficiently and rapidly manage the transaction process and to move forward to help Sinch in securing the necessary local regulatory approvals in each jurisdiction required.
The team was led by Sinch corporate relationship partner Thilo Winkeler (Berlin) and corporate partner Nick Ramage (Sydney), who was supported by the Sydney-based team of corporate partner Dan Atkin, special counsel Roddy Johnson, senior associate Julia Kingston, and lawyer Leon Fung.
The team also was supported by Berlin partner Annette Mutschler-Siebert and Sydney partner Ayman Guirguis, providing competition law advice.
Pittsburgh corporate partner David Edgar, who guided Sinch on two recent U.S.-focused transactions, advised on overall strategy, structuring, and U.S.-related legal issues.
Winkeler commented: "We’re delighted that Sinch continues to entrust our firm with their global legal challenges, and are excited to see both their expansion into Australia materialise and success for their expanding customer base.”
Ramage remarked: "We're very pleased to assist Sinch in another strategic acquisition and to showcase K&L Gates' strength across multiple jurisdictions by quickly assembling a deal team of lawyers in Australia, the United States, and Europe."
Closing of the transaction is expected to occur in the second half of 2021, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.
K&L Gates is a fully integrated global law firm with lawyers located across five continents. The firm represents leading multinational corporations, growth and middle-market companies, capital markets participants and entrepreneurs in every major industry group as well as public sector entities, educational institutions, philanthropic organizations and individuals.
