NielsenIQ entered into a definitive agreement to acquire GfK SE from GfK-Nürnberg e.V., KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR) and others on July 1, 2022. Post-completion, both NielsenIQ and GfK SE will merge. Advent International, parent of NielsenIQ will become a majority shareholder in the combined company, while Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions and KKR will remain as significant minority shareholders in combined company. The transaction is expected to close later this year or early next year, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. As of November 9, 2022, CCCS is inviting public feedback on the Proposed Transaction from 9 November 2022 to 23 November 2022. As of February 22, 2023, Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (“CCCS”) has cleared the proposed acquisition by AI PAVE Dutchco I B.V. of GfK SE. As of June 12, 2023. The Commission, which extended its decision on the deal to July 4, is expected to seek feedback from customers and rivals before deciding whether to accept NielsenIQ's offer, demand more or open a full-scale investigation.
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and HSBC Securities are serving as financial advisors to Advent International Corporation and NielsenIQ, and Christian Westra, Matthew Richards, David Saltzman, Chris Agnoli and Andy Howard, Jenny Rikoski, Doug Brayley, Ed Black, Rohan Massey of Ropes & Gray LLP are serving as legal advisor to Nielsen IQ and Henning Bloss, Jorn Hirschmann of Covington & Burling, Weil Gotshal & Manges and Squire Patton Boggs are serving as legal counsel. Goldman Sachs Bank Europe SE is serving as financial advisor to KKR and Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions. Mark D. Pflug, Clare Gaskell, Tristan Brown, Linda Barrett, Harry N. Hudesman, Étienne Renaudeau, Peter Guryan, Meredith B. Jones, Adam D. Shapiro, Kate Sinclair, Jessica N. Cohen and Steven R. DeLott of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP and Elizabeth Kreuzer, Christian Schwandtner and Henrik Bockenheimer of Hengeler Mueller Partnerschaft von Rechtsanwälten mbB are serving as legal counsel to KKR. Rothschild & Co is serving as financial advisor to Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions. Fieldfisher and Baker & Hostetler LLP is serving as legal counsel to Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions. White & Case LLP is serving as legal counsel to GfK SE. PJT Partners Inc. (NYSE:PJT) acted as financial advisor to NielsenIQ.