CHICAGO, IL – Nov. 20, 2012 – Freeborn & Peters LLP is pleased to announce that the firm has been named a finalist in two categories of the 11th Annual M&A Advisor Awards. M&A Advisor is the premier membership network of mergers and acquisitions, turnaround and finance professionals. The Chicago-based law firm is being recognized in the categories of Corporate/Strategic Acquisition of the Year (Between $100 million and $200 million) and Sector Deal of the Year – Consumer and Retail Products (Between $100 million and $200 million) for its work on the Samsonite International S.A. acquisition of High Sierra Sport Company. The firm represented High Sierra throughout the negotiation.
“Freeborn & Peters is incredibly honored to be recognized in two categories of the M&A Advisor Awards,” says Todd A. Labinsky, a partner in the firm’s Business Law Practice Group and key orchestrator of the Samsonite deal. “With the precision and finesse expected of Freeborn & Peters’ team members, each participant in this transaction meaningfully contributed to the cause and accomplished a lofty goal in an impressively short period.”
The Samsonite/High Sierra deal was selected as a finalist among 423 nominees, which represented more than 600 companies. The acquisition, which was announced in July, had Samsonite seeking to double its size by offering the bag and backpack manufacturer a pre-emptive bid of $110 million.
“All signs with the deal pointed to a fast closing, which would be a major triumph for all parties involved,” Labinsky says. “I am proud to say that the Freeborn & Peters team led the way in the sales process and smoothly guided High Sierra through closing.”
Freeborn & Peters’ involvement in the Samsonite/High Sierra deal marks another success in a lengthy history of successful representative matters for the firm’s work with private company mergers and acquisitions.
“This recognition further underscores the great accomplishment and contributions of all the attorneys who worked on this project as well as our firm’s consistent display of its core values of team work, integrity, caring, commitment and effectiveness across all matters, “ says Peter I. Mason, chairman of the firm’s Executive Committee and a partner in the firm’s Business Law Practice Group.
The winners for the 11th Annual M&A Advisor Awards will be announced at the annual gala, held on Tuesday, December 11th at the New York Athletic Club in New York City.
