Demarest advises União Química on US biotechnology plant acquisition

Demarest advised Brazilian pharmaceuticals company União Química on the acquisition of a biotechnology plant in the US state of Georgia from Elanco, the animal health business unit of US company Eli Lilly.



The plant, located in Augustus, produces bovine protein hormone Lactotropin and growth hormone Posilac. União Química, one of Brazil’s largest pharmaceutical companies, is also active in the animal health business with the brand Agener.

This is União Química’s fourth acquisition since 2012, and which include the acquisition of a Zoetis business plant in Guarulhos in 2017.

Demarest lawyers that were engaged to counsel União Química are Luciana Tornovsky, Lucas Tavares, Debora Sejtman and Camila Smith

In separate business, Demarest also advised the shareholders of RCB Investimentos in the sale of 65 per cent of the capital stock of RCB Investimentos to Alvorada Serviços e Negócios, an affiliate of Banco Bradesco.

In addition to the acquisition, two receivables investment funds (FIDCs) willl be incorporated in order to acquire NPL, and RCB Investimentos will be responsible for the management of the recovery of such credits.

RCB is a controlled affiliate of PRA Group Brazil Investimentos and is specialized in NPLs.

With this investment, the bank intends to gain more efficiency in its credit recovery processes. Until now, Bradesco was the only large Brazilian bank that did not have its own division specialized in NPLs.

Demarest’s lead partner engaged on the deal was Thiago Maia. Lawyers Christiano Chagas, Thiago Giantomassi, Débora Sejtman, Letícia Wanderley and Pedro Sanglard were also involved in the transaction.