DLA Piper advises ES-KO and Phatisa on International Facilities Services (IFS) acquisition

DLA Piper has advised ES-KO and Phatisa, as part of a consortium with management, on the acquisition of 100% of International Facilities Services (IFS) from Development Partners International (DPI). The acquisition will see the consortium deploy its complementary operational expertise, financial prowess and impact credentials to help IFS become Africa’s premier facilities management business.

IFS is an African integrated facilities management business that encompasses catering, camp management, laundry, cleaning and housekeeping, maintenance, waste management and hygiene services. They support blue-chip customers operating in remote sites across multiple African countries, including South Africa, Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Zambia.

ES-KO is a leading provider of integrated solutions for remote operations, providing fast and efficient logistical solutions, camp services, camp construction projects and risk management and security services in support of Governmental agencies, Inter and Non-Governmental Organizations, the Energy and Business & Industry sectors. Phatisa is a leading sub-Saharan African private equity fund manager with investments across the African food chain. Currently, Phatisa has three funds under management, totalling more than USD400 million.

A multi-disciplinary DLA Piper team across its UK and Johannesburg offices worked on the transaction and was led by Chris Baird, partner in the Corporate practice. He was supported by partners David Smith (Tax) and Jeremy Andrews (Lit&Reg); directors Liam Freeman (Corporate), Nick Grootes (Finance), Monique Jefferson (Employment), Brian Malcomess (Corporate), At van der Merwe (Finance), Werner Rysbergen (Lit&Reg) and Andrew Lewis (Tax); and associates, Cameron Spittal, Ryan Cullen and Fatima Coulibaly (all Corporate).

With more than 1,000 corporate lawyers globally, DLA Piper helps clients execute complex transactions while supporting clients across all stages of development. The firm has been rated number one in global M&A volume for 14 consecutive years, is number 1 across Africa by M&A deal volume, according to Mergermarket, and number one in M&A in combined global deal volume according to PitchBook.