European Capital in Buyout of Action Sport Holding

February 16, 2006

Cleary Gottlieb advised European Capital, the European arm of American Capital, in its leveraged acquisition of the share capital of Action Sport Holding. The transaction was financed through a mixture of senior and mezzanine facilities together with equity and quasi-equity instruments.

European Capital is a buyout and mezzanine fund with capital resources of €750 million. American Capital is a publicly traded buyout and mezzanine fund with capital resources of approximately $6.8 billion. Action Sport Holding is a leading distributor of motorcycle and bicycle gear and accessories in France.