MoFo Advises Messer in USD $1.1 Billion Private Placement

Morrison Foerster advised Messer, the world's leading privately owned specialist for industrial, medical and specialty gases, on privately placing USD $1.1 billion of senior notes with institutional investors. Messer manufactures and supplies oxygen, nitrogen, argon, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, helium, shielding gases for welding, specialty gases, medical gases and food gases as well as many different gas mixtures. Founded in 1898, the company’s headquarters are located in Bad Soden, near Frankfurt, Germany.

Proceeds of the private placement were mainly applied to the full refinancing of a USD-denominated bridge facility taken up for the acquisition of all shares in Messer Industries from minority owner CVC Capital Partners last year. Remaining proceeds will be applied to general corporate purposes.

The MoFo deal team was led by London corporate partner Scott Ashton and associate Amelia Cheng.