DLA Piper advises Société BIC SA on its acquisition of inkbox ink incorporated, making BIC a leader in ‎the "do-it-yourself" skin creative industry ‎

On February 1, 2022, Société Bic SA (“BIC”), a world leader in stationery, lighters and shavers, announced the completion of its acquisition of inkbox ink incorporated (“inkbox”), a top of the market brand of high quality semi-permanent tatoos. DLA Piper was pleased to act for BIC in connection with this transaction.

Inkbox was founded in 2015 by brothers Tyler and Braden Handley, and sells semi-permanent tattoos made with plant-based ink that last one to two weeks. Since its inception in 2015, millions of people from more than 150 countries around the world have worn inkbox tattoos. With a growing catalog of more than 10,000 designs, the Freehand Tattoo Marker, and a custom tattoo platform used to bring any idea to life, inkbox ships tens of thousands of tattoos every week. It has also come to be an important avenue of creative expression for many of today's most respected tattoo artists, who now count on it as a way to build their brand and supplement their income. 

“It was a pleasure to bring our extensive M&A experience, as well as our international resources and ability, to efficiently close a complex cross-border transaction and assist BIC with this exciting acquisition,” said Russel Drew, Partner in the firm’s Toronto office and leader of the Canadian deal team.  “I am very proud of what our team has accomplished – closing an extraordinary cross-border transaction on behalf of an extraordinary client. BIC brings a strong track record of successful acquisitions and integrations, and it is well positioned to support the continued growth and expansion of the inkbox business,” said Gerry Williams, chair of the firm’s Georgia Corporate and Securities practice and vice chair of the Southeast Private Equity group.

You can read more about this transaction here.

The DLA Piper (Canada) LLP transaction team was led by Russel Drew and Christopher Pejovic, and included Titus Totan, Grace Latimer, MacKenzie Jordan, Joe Furness, Sangeetha Punniyamoorthy (IP), Michael S. Richards (employment), Kevin F. Fritz (tax), Nicole Nazareth, Tyson Gratton, Catherine A. Pawluch (regulatory), David Spratley (IPT) and Robert Dallakyan. The DLA Piper LLP (US) transaction team was led by Gerry Williams, and included Georgia Jolink, Nia Brown, Julia Kovacs, Luyao Zhang and Tanisha Pinkins. The DLA Piper Tokyo Partnership team was led by Lance Miller, and included Tomoko Muneyuki, Jan Zhan, and Tomomi Fujikouge.

With more than 1,000 corporate lawyers globally, DLA Piper helps clients execute complex cross-border transactions seamlessly while supporting clients across all stages of development. The firm has been rated number one in global M&A volume for 12 consecutive years, according to Mergermarket.