Antitrust Law Daily Wrap Up, ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS NEWS: EC approves acquisition of Securitas Direct by Hellman & Friedman, (Oct 16, 2015)

By Linda O’Brien, J.D., LL.M.

The European Commission (EC) has cleared under the European Union (EU) merger regulation the acquisition of Dream Luxco SCA, the holding company of Securitas Direct, and its subsidiaries, of Sweden, by Hellman & Friedman LLC, of the United States, the EC announced on October 15.

Securitas Direct offers security services and provides monitored alarm solutions for residential and small business customers. Hellman & Friedman is a private equity firm. The Commission concluded that the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns, because neither Hellman & Friedman nor any of its portfolio companies are active in the same markets as Securitas Direct.

Davigel – Bain Capital merger. The EC has also cleared under the EU merger regulation the acquisition of Davigel SAS of France and Davigel España of Spain by Bain Capital Europe of the United Kingdom. Bain Capital is a private equity investment fund. Davigel Group specializes in the production and distribution of out-of-home food products. At the request of the companies, the Commission referred the assessment of the transaction's impact on the French market to the French competition authority, because it was best placed to carry out this assessment at national and local level. The Commission concluded that the remainder of the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns, because the overlaps between the companies' activities were very limited.

Both transactions were examined under the simplified merger review procedure.

Companies: Securitas Direct; Hellman & Friedman, LLC; Davigel SAS; Davigel España; Bain Capital Group

News: AcquisitionsMergers Antitrust