Advanta Seeds Expands European Reach with Adriatica Acquisition
Deal News | Jun 10, 2025 | Legal Community Italy
Herbert Smith Freehills, an international law firm, advised Advanta Seeds Group, a subsidiary of UPL Group, on the acquisition of Adriatica's business division focused on corn seed research, development, production, and commercialization. The legal team from Herbert Smith Freehills was led by Augusto Santoro, the Italian head of the Corporate department, and senior associate Cesare Saputo, with the support of UPL Group's client relationship partner, Siddhartha Shukla. Adriatica, supported by the law firm Rapini & Seyssel, benefits from over 50 years of experience in European markets, specializing in fertilizers and nutritional solutions for agriculture. This acquisition strengthens Advanta Seeds' position in the European corn market, enhancing its product offerings to European farmers and expanding its crop portfolio.
Sectors
- Agriculture
- Legal Services
- Mergers & Acquisitions
Geography
- Italy – Adriatica is an Italian company, and the legal activities are conducted by an Italian team.
- Europe – The acquisition impacts the European market, where both companies have operations.
Industry
- Agriculture – The industry is relevant due to Advanta Seeds and Adriatica's focus on sustainable agriculture and agricultural input supply.
- Legal Services – Herbert Smith Freehills and Rapini & Seyssel are law firms providing corporate legal advisory for the acquisition.
- Mergers & Acquisitions – The article discusses the acquisition of Adriatica by Advanta Seeds, categorizing it within M&A activities.
Financials
Participants
| Name | Role | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanta Seeds Group | Bidding Company | Company | A subsidiary of UPL Group focused on sustainable agriculture and improving food security. |
| Adriatica | Target Company | Company | An Italian agro-food company specializing in fertilizers and nutritional solutions with over 50 years of experience. |
| Herbert Smith Freehills | Legal Advisor | Company | An international law firm advising Advanta Seeds on the acquisition. |
| Rapini & Seyssel | Legal Advisor | Company | Law firm advising Adriatica during the acquisition process. |
| UPL Group | Parent Company | Company | A global provider of agricultural solutions, the parent company of Advanta Seeds. |
| Augusto Santoro | Corporate Legal Advisor | Person | Partner and head of the Corporate department at Herbert Smith Freehills. |
| Cesare Saputo | Associate Legal Advisor | Person | Senior associate at Herbert Smith Freehills assisting in the acquisition. |
| Siddhartha Shukla | Client Relationship Partner | Person | Serves as the client relationship partner for UPL Group. |
| Marco Rapini | Legal Counsel for Adriatica | Person | Lawyer at Rapini & Seyssel representing Adriatica. |
| Luca Di Gaetano | Legal Counsel for Adriatica | Person | Lawyer at Rapini & Seyssel representing Adriatica. |