DLA PIPER ADVISES IN MULTIJURISDICTIONAL DEAL

DLA Piper has advised Bureau Veritas on its agreement to acquire Mumbai-based Sievert Group which has a strong presence in the Middle East and South East Asia. The Euronext-listed market leaders in testing, inspection and certification (TIC) has acquired Sievert to enhance its technical capabilities and enable the business to further expand into Middle and Far Eastern markets. The team from DLA Piper worked together with law firm J Sagar Associates’ Mumbai office, whose team was led by partner, Sandeep Mehta, on the crossborder, multi-jurisdictional deal spanning India, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Singapore. AZB & Partners represented the promoters of the Sievert Group. “We are pleased to have advised Bureau Veritas on its successful acquisition of Sievert. The move will enable our client to leverage Sievert’s technical capabilities across key markets, allowing the business to retain and enhance its market leadership position,” commented Abdul Aziz Al-Yaqout, regional managing partner at DLA Piper Middle East.He added “The deal was a complex transaction across multiple jurisdictions and we are delighted to have assisted our client in this regard." Guido Dori, executive director at Bureau Veritas said, "We are delighted to have reached an agreement with Sievert in a deal that will enable us to reach new markets. The legal team acted as first-class, trusted advisers throughout the deal proceedings." The DLA Piper team, spanning six jurisdictions across the firm's network, was led by Abdul Aziz Al-Yaqout, regional managing partner, and included Diwakar Agarwal, legal director in the Dubai office, George Oti, legal director in the firm's Kuwait office and Zara Merali, legal consultant based in Kuwait.