Overview
International law firm McDermott Will & Emery represented Campari Group, an Italian spirits group with a portfolio of over 50 premium and super-premium brands, in its purchase and tax financing of an initial 70% interest – with an option to acquire the remaining 30% interest at the start of 2031 – of the outstanding capital of Wilderness Trail Distillery, LLC, a ‘premium craft distillery’ with a focus on making the highest quality bourbon and rye whiskey. The deal implies a current enterprise value of $600 million for 100% of the outstanding equity of Wilderness Trail.
The initial transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to close before the end of 2022.
With this acquisition, bourbon is primed to become the second major leg of the Campari Group, following aperitifs. Wilderness Trail’s super-premium bourbon and rye whiskey brand will further strengthen the Campari Group’s brand portfolio leveraging one of the fastest-growing spirit categories in the core US market.
The cross-border and cross-practice McDermott deal team was led by Alva Mather, Anne Cox-Johnson and Andrea Tempestini and included Alex Ruiz, Jacob Hollinger, Lesli Esposito, Allison Wilkerson, Todd McClelland, Jennifer Mikulina, Ryan Smethurst, Michael Halsband, Andrew Liazos, John Robert, Brian Mead, Margaret Cremin, Ty Carson, David Fuller, David Sherwood, John Zukin, Sarah Sarb, Joseph Mansilla, Matt Evola, Reese Poncia, Giuseppe Mazzarella, Nick Paul, Karolien Van der Putten, Christine Dower, Michelle Draper, Alice Chung and Zach Zhou.
Read Campari’s press release here.
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