Cowen to Acquire Quarton International

Willkie represented longtime client Cowen Inc. in its agreement to acquire Quarton International, a leading global financial advisory company serving the middle market.

On November 20, Willkie client Cowen Inc. (NASDAQ:COWN) and Quarton International AG (and affiliated Quarton entities) announced the signing of a definitive agreement under which Cowen will acquire privately held Quarton International, a leading global financial advisory company serving the middle market. The transaction is expected to close by January 2, 2019.

With a team of 70 professionals across ten offices in Europe and the U.S., Quarton International was formed in a 2015 merger of Switzerland- and Germany-based Blue Corporate Finance and Detroit-based Quarton Partners. The firm provides the global middle market with M&A advisory, private capital raising and other corporate finance services. The principals of Quarton International have a combined track record of more than 1,000 transactions in more than 30 different countries with a total volume exceeding $50 billion.

Longtime client Cowen is a diversified financial services firm that operates through two business segments: broker dealer and an investment management. Last year Willkie represented Cowen in its acquisition of Convergex, and in 2016 assisted the company its acquisition of businesses from CRT Capital. 

The Willkie team on the current transaction was led by partner David Boston and counsel Daniel Mun, and included partners Russell Pinilis and Mark Holdsworth and national partner Christian Rolf.