Clifford Chance

Clifford Chance advises Johnson Matthey plc on the sale of Alfa Aesar to Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc

International law firm Clifford Chance is advising Johnson Matthey plc on the sale of its research chemicals business, Alfa Aesar, for GBP256 million, to Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of the calendar year, subject to satisfaction of certain pre-closing conditions.

Johnson Matthey’s Research Chemicals Business, which operates globally under the Alfa Aesar brand, is a supplier of over 45,000 speciality chemicals to both industry and academic institutions and has operations in the UK, China, Germany, India, South Korea and the United States.

The cross-border, multi-disciplinary Clifford Chance team is being led by Head of London Corporate, partner Mark Poulton and Senior Associate Katherine Moir. The team includes London partners David Harkness (Tax), André Duminy (TMT), Imogen Clark (Employment/pensions), Sonia Gilbert (Employment incentives)  and Martin Saunders (L&DR). Frankfurt partner Sandra Thiel (Corporate), Beijing partner Kelly Gregory (Corporate), Brussels and Düsseldorf partner Marc Besen (Antitrust) and Washington partner Timothy Cornell (Antitrust) are also working on the deal.