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Goodmans Deals & Cases

This section contains brief summaries of selected significant cases and transactions.  You'll also find representative lists  - by year - of major transactions and cases where Goodmans' involvement is a matter of public record or where inclusion in the list has been authorized by our clients.

Refresco Group N.V. Acquires Bottling Business of Cott Corp.

2018

Areas Banking and Finance Law, Commercial Real Estate, Competition, Antitrust and Foreign Investment, Employment and Labour, Mergers and Acquisitions, Pensions, Tax

Summary

Goodmans acted as Canadian counsel to Cott Corp. (NYSE:COT; TSX:BCB) in connection with the sale of its bottling activities (Cott Beverages) to Refresco Group N.V. (Euronext:RFRG) for $1.25 billion in cash. The transaction closed on January 30, 2018. 

Refresco Group N.V. (Refresco) is now the world’s largest independent bottler of soft drinks and fruit juices for retailers and A-brands with operations in Benelux, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the UK and the US. After the completion of the Cott Beverages acquisition, Refresco continues to maintain its world market leadership as an independent bottler of soft drinks and fruit juices.

The transaction had a significant cross-border and multi-jurisdictional component and included Cott’s Canadian, US, UK, and Mexico businesses (excluding the RCI International division and its associated concentrate facility as well as the Aimia Foods division). Due diligence was completed and the definitive purchase agreement negotiated over a very short period of time — approximately eight weeks.