Kirkland Advises Toys 'R' Us on Sale of Stores in the DACH Region

Kirkland & Ellis is advising Toys'R'Us on the sale of its stores in the DACH region to Irish-British toy retailer Smyths. The transaction volume was not disclosed.

In September 2017, the US toy retail chain Toys'R'Us filed for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. In March 2018, the company announced it would close stores in the United States and the United Kingdom and seek a buyer for its stores in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Toys'R'Us entered the German market in 1986 and is one of the largest toy retailers in the German-speaking countries.

Smyths Toys Superstores operates more than 110 toy shops in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Founded in 1986, it is now the largest toy retailer in the UK and Ireland.

Kirkland & Ellis advises Toys'R'Us with the following team in Germany:

Munich: Volkmar Bruckner, Attila Oldag (both lead, Private Equity/M&A), Oded Schein (Tax), Carl Pickerill (Restructuring), Wolfgang Nardi (Finance); Associates: Thomas Krawitz, Mark Aschenbrenner, Samuel Frommelt (all Private Equity/M&A), Daniel Hiemer, Cristan Gerhold (both Tax), Josef Parzinger (Restructuring), Fritz Ludwig (Finance)

Other Kirkland offices advising on this matter include Chicago, London and New York.

Kirkland & Ellis is also advising Toys'R'Us globally on the restructuring process.