Dealmaker of the Week: Marilyn French of Weil, Gotshal & Manges
DAILY AUGUST 10, 2011 Dealmaker of the Week: Marilyn French of Weil, Gotshal & Manges Posted by Tom HuddlestonWhen used Jr. in the header, doesn’t need a line Marilyn French DEALMAKER DAILY COLOR #696969 French says her own relationship with Advent dates to 2006, when she Marilyn French, 46, aAMLAW corporate partner COLOR in the #D72027 Boston office of Weil, worked on the private equity shop’s takeover of a chemicals unit formerly Gotshal & Manges. owned by Celanese Corporation. Since then, she has advised Advent on THE CLIENT several deals, including this year’s $3 billion acquisition (with GS Capital Boston-based private equity firm Advent International. Partners) of consumer credit reporter TransUnion Corp. Over the past THE DEAL few years, French says, Advent has kept the firm very busy “working on Advent said Sunday that it will purchase a majority stake in AOT a number of their transactions, doing everything in the retail, energy, Bedding Super Holdings, the parent company of mattress-makers Serta and financial services industry.” Simmons. ON CLOSING THE DETAILS Familiarity was the key to moving quickly through the deal’s auction Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed, but Advent is process to getting an agreement signed, French says. reportedly paying roughly $3 billion, according to The New York Times, In addition to her history of working on Advent transactions, French has which cited an anonymous source. (French declined to comment on the also worked closely with some of the parties on the other side of the table. deal’s terms.) Current investors Ares Management and the Ontario Teachers’ French advised THL on its 2003 acquisition of Simmons, and also handled Pension Plan (OTPP) are selling the chunk of AOT being acquired by Simmons’s sale out of bankruptcy to Ares and OTPP.
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