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Clifford Chance advises Nielsen Holdings N.V. on one of the biggest private equity backed IPOs in the US

1 February 2011

Clifford Chance advises Nielsen Holdings N.V. on one of the biggest private equity backed IPOs in the US

Amsterdam, 1 February 2011 – International law firm Clifford Chance advised Nielsen Holdings N.V. (the portfolio company owned by KKR, Blackstone, Carlyle, AlpInvest, Centerview, Thomas H. Lee and Hellman and Friedman) in respect of its fully underwritten initial public offering and listing on the New York Stock Exchange. The offering is being closely watched as a sign of investors' appetite for private-equity backed IPOs. The offering values the company at approximately $8 billion.

Nielsen, which operates the world's largest consumer tracking and television viewing measurement businesses, was taken private by a consortium of private equity firms in a landmark €7.6 bn ($9.3 bn) buy-out in 2006, in which Clifford Chance advised KKR and the consortium.

The Clifford Chance team advising Nielsen on the IPO and related matters consisted of Gregory Crookes (lead), Joachim Fleury, Tineke Kothe, Willem Specken, Tom van Duuren, Michael Otte, Jodie Lazell, Arwin Lok, Emmeline Hessels, Leen Kranenburg and Joost Gerrits.