Sidley Represents Axar Capital in Buyout of Centric Brands

Sidley served as counsel to Axar Capital Management and consortium investors in the acquisition of Centric Brands, a leading global lifestyle brand portfolio. The investor group, which also includes MSP Sports Capital and M-Cor Capital, joined Centric Brands CEO Jason Rabin and Group President Jarrod Kahn in a buyout of the company from the selling equity holders.

With operations across North America, Europe, and Asia, Centric Brands has a portfolio of more than 100 licensed and owned brands, including Calvin Klein, Coach, Dockers, Faherty, Favorite Daughter, Gap, Joe’s Jeans, Michael Kors, Off-White, Quiksilver, Tommy Hilfiger, UGG, and Under Armour, among others, as well as entertainment brands including Disney, Marvel, Paramount, and Universal. The transaction positions the company for its next phase of growth, including expansion into new brands, products, and categories, and continued investment in its global operations.

The Sidley team is led by Brien M. Wassner and Grace Jamgochian (M&A and Private Equity), and includes Matt Naifeh, Tyler Hugh Welsh, Jerome Hughes, and Ryland Ploeger (M&A and Private Equity); Steven R. Rutkovsky, Robert Y. Bennett Jr., Kyle Gromann, and Brent M. Harding (Global Finance); Mary K. Marks, Murray Reeve, and Arthur Clover (Antitrust and Competition); Lauren A. Gallagher, Matthew T. Green, and Liz Eastlund (Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation); Natalie C. Chan and Kristina H. Daisak (Labor, Employment and Immigration); Christian Brause and Michael H. Sliskovich (Tax); E. Kyle Barnett, Patrick Donaldson, and Raza A. Siddiqui (Technology and Life Sciences Transactions); Gwen Ellis-Joyce and James Daher (Global Arbitration, Trade and Advocacy); Simon M. Saddleton (Investment Funds); Scott J.F. Goldstein (Insurance); Stephen McInerney and James Atlas (Privacy and Cybersecurity); Matthew Podolsky and Anika Khemani (Commercial Litigation and Disputes); and Sarah A. Jehl (Environmental, Health, and Safety).