German household products company Henkel is buying Spotless Group from private equity firm BC Partners Holdings in a $1.3 billion all-cash deal.
London-based BC Partners, which bought French company Spotless in April 2010 from Axa Private Equity (now named Ardian), is being represented by White & Case. German legal publication Juve reports that Magic Circle firm Clifford Chance as well as Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton are representing Henkel, which manufactures knives, Purex detergent, Dial soap and Loctite adhesives. Neither Henkel nor the firms would confirm their roles on the deal, which was announced late last week.
