Grupo Bimbo in Acquisition of Sara Lee North American Fresh Bakery

Cleary Gottlieb represented Grupo Bimbo and its U.S. subsidiary, BBU, Inc., in the acquisition of Sara Lee Corporation’s North American Fresh Bakery business for an enterprise value of $959 million. The acquisition includes a royalty-free perpetual license to the Sara Lee® brand in fresh bakery products in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Eastern and Central European countries, as well as a portfolio of regional brands. The transaction, which is subject to regulatory approvals, was announced on November 9 and is expected to close in 2011.

Sara Lee NAFB operates 41 plants and close to 4,800 distribution routes, and employs approximately 13,000 associates in the United States. Grupo Bimbo’s combined U.S. businesses will employ more than 28,000 associates, operate 75 plants and distribute its products through more than 13,000 routes, with estimated pro forma sales of $5.8 billion in 2010.

In January 2009, Cleary Gottlieb represented Grupo Bimbo in the $2.5 billion acquisition of Bimbo Foods, Inc. (formerly Weston Foods, Inc.) and the related financing.