The Orpea group — a European provider of Long-Term Care (nursing homes), Post-Acute Care, and Psychiatric Care — was advised by Gide Loyrette Nouel on its January 4, 2016 acquisition of a 90% stake in MEDI-System. Prior to the acquisition, MEDI-System was 50% owned by its founder, Marcin Zawadzki, and 50% by the US private equity firm Highlander Partners. Zawadzki retains the remaining 10% of share capital. The sellers were advised by the Krassowski law firm.
Founded in 2001 by Zawadzki, MEDI-System is Poland’s No. 1 private dependency care operator, with 7 facilities and 704 beds. It has developed a unique network of modern care facilities in Poland, with an offering covering a variety of areas of dependency care, including nursing homes and post-acute care and rehabilitation clinics.
Zawadzki commented: “We are very pleased with Orpea’s commitment, which forms part of an entrepreneurial and long-term approach. Orpea offers MEDI-System the opportunity to step up its rate of expansion, while also ensuring excellent standards of care for our patients and residents. Orpea’s financial capacity and expertise, with over 25 years’ experience in the industry, mean that it is able to offer strong prospects for all of MEDI-System’s employees.”
Yves Le Masne, Orpea’s Chief Executive Officer, stated: “Our robust pace of international expansion continues at the start of 2016 with this acquisition of Poland’s No. 1 nursing home operator. As with other countries, Orpea has decided to acquire a high quality platform benefiting from a very competent and experienced management team and staff. Furthermore, unlike most of our recent acquisitions, MEDI-System’s real estate ownership strategy also offers a rare and particularly attractive opportunity for ORPEA. To implement its expansion strategy, Orpea will provide MEDI-System with its financial capacity, know-how in the construction and redevelopment of care homes and its expertise in centralisation. Poland represents a very significant source of growth for the Group and is now Orpea's tenth development platform.”
Dawid Walendowski, Managing Partner of Highlander Partners, which has exited from its investment, concluded: “We are happy we could contribute to the creation of one of the largest private medical companies in Poland and bring it into the European market.”
The Krassowski team advising on the deal was led by Partner Bartosz Krassowski, supported by Legal Advisors Marcin Czaprowski and Jakub Kozinski.
