CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre Lyon advises the founders of 3mundi on the disposal of a minority shareholding in Flight Centre Travel Group

CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre Lyon has been advising the founders of 3mundi, an online and offline business travel agency, on the disposal of a minority shareholding (25%) in the Australian company Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG).

The transaction should be finalised in Summer 2017.

Incorporated in 1982 and based in Brisbane in Australia, FCTG is currently a business travel heavy weight. Operating in 93 countries, it is the 4th largest global business travel agency network. It has a portfolio of some thirty international brands, such as Liberty Travel, GOGO Vacations and StudentUniverse in the United States, and employs more than 19,000 people.

Parties involved in the transaction:

Laurent Stamm, a partner of CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre Lyon, advised the founding members of 3mundi. He was assisted by Arnaud Bogeat (Counsel) Louis Placé (associate) who provided guidance on the M&A aspects and by Karen Babin-Villeroux (Counsel) on the tax implications.

Flight Central Travel Group was assisted in this transaction by the firm Racine, through Jean-Christophe Beaury (partner), Johannes Singelnstein (Counsel), Elena Pintea (associate) and Sonia Chikaba (legal expert), as regards the M&A aspects; Nicolas Boytchev (partner) and Philippe Johnston (associate) on the real-estate factors; Frédérique Chaput (partner), Sophie Pasquesone (Counsel) and Cécile Mennetrier (associate) on the contractual issues and Fabien Pomart (Counsel) on the employment law considerations.

The tax audit was performed by the firm TAJ, with a team comprising Mathieu Gautier (partner), Delphine Nicault (lawyer and director), Angeline Fulacher, Emilie Fillette-Casella, Jean-Charles Orsini and Justine Venel.

The firm Kellerhals, through Frédéric Rochat, handled the Swiss due diligence checks.