DLA Piper advises Compass Group on strategic acquisition of Norwegian food and facilities management services business

DLA Piper has advised Compass Group, one of the world’s leading providers of food services, on its agreement to acquire 4Service Holding AS, a provider of food and facilities management services in Norway, subject to regulatory approval.

Compass Group operates in around 30 countries with approximately 580,000 employees worldwide. Its Norwegian division delivers over 130,000 meals a day to businesses in multiple industry sectors. Through this strategic acquisition Compass Group Norway will expand its presence in the growing Norwegian food and facilities management market and significantly expand its capabilities. As part of the proposed acquisition Compass Group Norway will take on 4Service's 6,500 employees.

A cross-border and multidisciplinary DLA Piper team was led by partners Rob Salter, Carl Hotton and Fredrik Lykke from the firm's Corporate practice. They were supported by Callum Swanson (legal director, Corporate) and Dina Jørstad (senior associate, Corporate), Competition partners Matt Evans and Line Voldstad and a full team from across DLA Piper's practice groups.

Rob Salter, Global Co-Chair M&A at DLA Piper, commented: “This strategic acquisition is a complex cross-border matter and another example of how our firm can bring together global teams to support the growth of our clients. With a key understanding of the market challenges and opportunities, the proposed transaction allows both organisations to better meet the needs of customers seeking bundled food and facilities management services. We are delighted to support Compass on this strategic transaction and look forward to working with them to completion.”