Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer ('Freshfields') advises ETC Group (ETC), a leading global provider to the telecom network and technology infrastructure industry on its acquisition of Amadys, a leading provider of end-to-end connectivity solutions in the Benelux, UK and DACH regions, from Equistone Partners Europe and management.

In 2022, Freshfields advised Cinven on the acquisition of a majority stake in ETC Group from Carlyle, with founder Cédric Varasteh and Carlyle Europe Technology Partners reinvesting in significant minority stakes alongside Cinven.

The combination of ETC and Amadys is highly complementary and is expected to provide opportunities for both organisations to leverage enhanced product offerings and capabilities, as well as to realise synergies across the combined business. The unification will also further enhance the management team, bringing together two highly entrepreneurial groups. The combined company’s distribution capabilities will support customers’ active and passive equipment needs for network deployments, upgrades, and maintenance during a time of increasing demand for high-speed connectivity across their combined footprint.

Freshfields advises ETC with a cross-border team consisting of Brussels partner Frédéric Elens with principal associates Thibault Moust and Florence Goffin, and associate Ine Deblaere, and Paris partners Julien Rebibo and Nicolas Barberis with senior associate Myriam Khetib-Khatiri and associates Nora Chekhab and Rada-Ekaterina Shakirova.

London partner Martin McElwee with Brussels principal associate Konstantin Bondarenko, advise on antitrust aspects of the transaction.