Acuity Brands acquires Distech Controls

On September 1, 2015, Acuity Brands, Inc. (Acuity), through its wholly-owned subsidiary Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc. completed the acquisition of Distech Controls Inc. (Distech), a leading provider of building automation and energy management solutions. All of the outstanding capital stock of Distech was acquired for approximately $318 million. 

With operations throughout North America and in Europe, Acuity is a North American market leader and one of the world's leading providers in lighting solutions for indoor and outdoor applications. Acuity employs approximately 7,000 associates and recorded net sales of US$2.4 billion during fiscal year 2014. 

Headquartered in Québec, Distech is recognized for its wide range of innovative products, services and solutions that integrate lighting, HVAC, access control, closed circuit television and other related systems. Distech’s products and solutions seek to offer end-to-end optimization of building comfort and energy efficiency. 

Acuity was led by its Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Barry Goldman, with the assistance of Deputy General Counsel Loren West and Senior Counsel Rich Hoyt. Stikeman Elliott LLP acted as external counsel to Acuity with a team comprising John Leopold, Gayle Noble, Maxime Charbonneau, Timour Breslavski and Djiffa Gabriel Dogbé (corporate/M&A), Frank Mathieu, Josée Massicotte and Nicholas Grenier (tax), Hélène Bussières, Stephanie Weschler, Stephanie Pasternyk and Marie-Lou Gauthier (employment), Michel Legendre (benefits), Stefan Fews (real estate), Myriam Fortin (environment), Susan Hutton, Marc-André Coulombe, Shawn Neylan, Frédéric Paré, Alan Kenigsburg, Patrick Desalliers, Maude Brouillette and Magali Brunelle (regulatory), Howard Rosenoff (banking) and Jonathan Auerbach (intellectual property). King & Spalding LLP provided advice on US and French matters with a team led by Russell Richards. 

BCF LLP acted as counsel to Distech and the sellers thereof, with a team comprising Jean Rodrigue, Julie Doré, Kristian Zimmerman, Charles Soucy-Fradette and Ludovic Bourdages (business, commercial and corporate) and Marc-André Bélanger (tax).