Carlyle to acquire AutoForm group

On November 17, 2021, global investment firm Carlyle announced that it has agreed to acquire AutoForm, the global leader in engineering software for sheet metal forming simulation and Body in White (BiW) assembly simulation, primarily used in the automotive industry, from global private equity firm Astorg and other sellers. Headquartered in Switzerland, the company employs approximately 400 people and is present in more than 50 countries, across EMEA, Asia and the Americas. Details of the transaction, which is subject to regulatory approvals, are not being disclosed.

Lenz & Staehelin is advising Carlyle in this transaction with respect to Swiss law, alongside Linklaters and Latham & Watkins. The team is led by partner Andreas Rötheli (Corporate/M&A) and includes partners David Ledermann (Finance) and Frédéric Neukomm (Tax), as well as associates Roman Graf (Corporate/M&A), Sevan Antreasyan (IP), Paul Michel (Employment), Clément Bouvier (Finance), and Nadja Flühler (Data Protection), among others.