Livingstone advises Clinic Group on sale to ATOS Kliniken

Livingstone acted as exclusive M&A advisor to the shareholder of Klinik- & Praxisgruppe Dr. Merkle (“Clinic Group”) on the sale of the private clinic and three practice locations to ATOS Kliniken (“ATOS”).

The Clinic Group was founded by the shareholder and chief physician, Dr. Emanuel Merkle, in 1997 in Brühl and has since developed into a supra-regional provider of orthopedic services in Cologne and the surrounding area. The Clinic Group comprises a modern private clinic with several operating theaters as well as three orthopedic practices in Brühl, Hürth, and Cologne Junkersdorf.

At the above locations, a wide range of surgical as well as conservative orthopedic treatments is provided. In addition, the comprehensive state-of-the-art equipment enables a wide range of diagnostic services, such as MRI, X-ray, or bone densitometry. Thus, the Clinic Group’s infrastructure ensures a one-stop integrated care concept.

Dr. Merkle and his team of physicians will remain with the Clinic Group after the closing of the transaction and will accompany the group’s further growth. Dr. Merkle commented, “The Clinic Group has grown strongly in recent years and will continue on its growth track together with the new shareholder. We are delighted to have found an experienced partner in ATOS with a comprehensive network and a strong presence in Cologne. Livingstone advised me comprehensively throughout the entire sales process and played a decisive role in finding the right partner and structuring the transaction.”

With more than 1,000 employees and about 170 physicians as well as 9 inpatient clinics and 11 outpatient surgeries, ATOS Group is a quality leader in the field of cutting-edge orthopedic medicine in Germany. As a result of partnering up with Dutch financial investor Waterland, the clinic chain’s annual sales more than tripled to around 130MM EUR. In September, Waterland announced the sale of ATOS to the British financial investor Intermediate Capital Group, which will accompany the further roll-up of the group.

Christian Grandin, Partner at Livingstone, commented, “ATOS ultimately prevailed in a competitive process and was able to offer our client the best package of the purchase price, transaction certainty, and speed as well as promising future prospects. We are pleased to have found a good partner for Dr. Merkle for the further development of the Clinic & Practice Group and thank him for the very pleasant cooperation.”

The parties have agreed not to disclose the terms of the transaction, which are subject to customary regulatory approvals.