Four companies advise sale of Weston Foods bakery unit


Mayer Brown LLP Washington, DC, USA offices REUTERS / Andrew Kelly

  • Weston Foods accounted for 75% of George Weston’s net sales in 2020
  • Mayer Brown and Torys advise George Weston as Kirkland guides FGF Brands

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(Reuters) – Mayer Brown and Torys are representing Canadian food producer George Weston Ltd in its plan to sell its Weston Foods fresh and frozen bakery business to bakery maker FGF Brands Inc, which brought in Stikeman Elliott and Kirkland & Ellis.

George Weston of Toronto said Tuesday he had agreed to sell the company, which accounted for 75% of its net sales last year, for C $ 1.2 billion ($ 970.08 million).

Mayer Brown’s attorneys working with George Weston include M&A partners William Kucera and Marc Sperber, as well as technology transaction partner Marina Aronchik.

The company has advised George Weston on several acquisitions and sales since 2001, according to the company’s website.

A representative for Torys did not respond to a request for details of the lawyers who worked on the deal.

On the other side of the deal, the Stikemans lawyers guiding FGF Brands include business partners Joel Binder and Timothy Chubb; tax partner Dean Kraus; Natasha vandenHoven, pension and benefits partner; competition partner Michael Kilby; and financial partner Craig Mitchell.

FGF Brands also turned to a Kirkland team led by business partners Sean Rodgers, Martha Todd and Kate Rainey Willson.

The firm also advised the Toronto company in litigation.

George Weston has said he plans to close the sale to FGF Brands before the end of the first quarter of 2022.

FGF Brands’ financial advisor for the transaction is Bank of Nova Scotia, and George Weston’s is Houlihan Lokey Inc and CIBC Capital Markets.

Read more:

George Weston of Canada to Sell Fresh and Frozen Bakery Businesses to FGF Brands