Allen & Overy leads on SAP's £2.2bn SuccessFactors takeover

A&O corporate partner Peter Harwich in New York led the deal for Germany-headquartered SAP, with assistance from A&O Mannheim corporate partner Hans-Christoph Ihrig. Paris corporate and capital markets partner Frédéric Moreau advised on French matters.

SAP’s primary listing is in Germany, but it is also listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

The computer giant has given a number of mandates to the magic circle firm over a decade, including on its acquisition of Business Objects, which closed in 2008 (8 October 2007).

SAP also instructed Jones Day corporate partners Daniel Mitz and Micheal Reagan and IP partner Spencer Simon, all of whom are based in Silicon Valley.

The deal gave further roles to Jones Day employee benefits partner Brian Holmen in Los Angeles, Washington DC regulatory partner Giovanna Cinelli, Frankfurt competition partner Thomas Jestaedt, Washington antitrust partner Phil Proger and antitrust partner Craig Waldman, who is based in the San Francisco and Silicon Valley offices.

US-based SuccessFactors turned to Fenwick & West, which fielded corporate partner and firm chairman Gordon Davidson, corporate partner Jeffrey Vetter and corporate associate Robert Mobassaly. All three are based at the firm’s Mountain View headquarters in Silicon Valley.

Fenwick has previously advised SuccessFactors on its IPO in 2007 and has worked with the client since.

NYSE-listed SuccessFactors also hired Morrison & Foerster technology partner Tessa Schwartz in San Francisco for IP matters and DLA Piper for tax advice, as well as Norton Rose corporate and capital markets partner Frank Regelin in Frankfurt and Paris corporate partner Roberto Cristofolini.

The company listed on Euronext Paris and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange this summer, the first time a business has been listed on all three, the company says. This fact added an element of rarity to the deal.