Gowling WLG has advised AD Education's founder, majority shareholder and CEO on the sale of its majority stake to Ardian, a world-leading private equity house.

Founded in 2009, AD Education is a European higher education platform, pure player in the field of Creative Arts, teaching to more than 15,000 students in 12 schools on 36 campuses in France, Germany, Italy, Spain. AD Education covers four main sub-segments: Design & Graphical Arts, Media & Digital, Audiovisual and Culture & Luxury.

Over the past 10 years, the Group has established itself as the French leader on its core educational fields, following continued organic growth as well as successful build-ups, and as a sizeable European platform following acquisitions in Italy, Spain and Germany. Gowling WLG has advised AD Education on these acquisitions.

As part of its partnership with AD Education, Ardian will support Kevin Guenegan and the group's management team in accelerating its organic and external growth as well as strengthening its geographic diversification strategy.

We are very proud to have successfully completed this large transaction in a particularly dynamic and resilient sector on such a tight schedule.

Partner Patrick Mousset led the team, assisted by partner Simon Lowe, senior associate Ani Yavasheva and associate Géraldine Gonzalvez for all corporate aspects from the sale documentation to the reinvestment agreement (management package).

The entire Paris office has been involved in the vendor due diligence: Partner Céline Bey and senior associate Clémence Lapôtre (intellectual property); Partner Sylvain Canard-Volland and associate Paul Diouf (real estate); Partner Frédéric Dereux and counsel Déborah Fournet (commercial law and litigation); Partner Gaëlle Le Breton (employment); Partner Danhoé Reddy-Girard (financing); Partner Philippe Rousseau and associate Fannie de Longchamp (contracts); Counsel Julie Vuagnoux (public law and regulatory).

Closing shall occur following antitrust approvals.