Calfee Client, Omega Sea, Wins 19th Annual M&A Advisor Award

News Release

The M&A Advisor announced that the winner of the 19th Annual M&A Advisor Awards, Sector Deal of the Year in the Consumer Staples category is the “Acquisition of Omega Sea by Spectrum Brands Holdings,” a deal in which Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP was proud to represent the Seller, Omega Sea.

The Award winners include the following deal participants and the firms representing them:

• Omega Sea LLC, Seller
• Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc., Buyer
• Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP, Legal Counsel to the Seller, Omega Sea, in the sale process and to the landlord, an affiliated real estate holding company, in lease negotiations with the Buyer
• EdgePoint Capital, Investment Banker to the Seller
• Husch Blackwell, LLP, Legal Counsel to the Buyer
• Genesis Capital, LLC, Financial Advisor to the Buyer

“These award winners are the standouts of the year, representing the finest deals and professionals within the M&A industry,” said Roger Aguinaldo, Founder of The M&A Advisor. “This period was ripe with challenges but also abundant with M&A activity, and these professionals were able to rise above the noise executing transactions representing several hundred billion dollars of enterprise value.”

Spectrum Brands Pet, LLC, an indirect subsidiary of Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPB), a leading global branded consumer products company, acquired substantially all of the assets of Omega Sea LLC to add to its Global Pet Care portfolio of aquatics brands. The Deal closed in March 2020.

Headquartered in Painesville, Ohio, Omega Sea is a global aquatics nutrition business that manufactures and markets premium fish food products, primarily under the Omega One^® brand.

Calfee’s deal team consisted of Corporate Partners Joseph K. (Joe) Juster and Gwen Gillespie Herman, Real Estate Senior Counsel Elizabeth (Lisa) Zoller Golish, and Corporate Associate Anthony J. (Tony) Cox. Members of the Calfee deal team played critical roles supporting the successful sale of the Company and the negotiation of a new lease with the Buyer. In addition, several team members were instrumental in supporting Omega Sea’s business success over the past 10 years since its original acquisition.

“It has been a privilege to represent Omega Sea over the years as it expanded its product line  and sales channels while remaining steadfast in its commitment to offering only sustainably sourced, nutrient-dense fish food, resulting in healthier fish, cleaner tanks and happier hobbyists,” said Calfee Partner, Joseph K. Juster. “Kudos to deal sponsors, Darrell Austin and Sam Hartwell, for helping this dynamic, family business achieve success.”

“It was a long road, but in a rather bleak year, it is certainly a bright spot to see such recognition for everyone’s hard work,” said Thomas G. Stafford, Jr., Managing Director, EdgePoint Capital.

About Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP

Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP is a full-service corporate law firm with 160 attorneys and six offices in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, New York and Washington, D.C. Calfee has been recognized as a leading law firm by Chambers USA in Banking and Finance, Corporate/M&A, Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation, General Commercial Litigation, Intellectual Property, Labor and Employment, and Real Estate and by Chambers HNW in Private Wealth Law. The firm serves clients in the Midwest, nationally and globally in the areas of Business Restructuring and Insolvency, Commercial and Public Finance, Corporate and Capital Markets, Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation, Estate and Succession Planning and Administration, Government Relations and Legislation, Intellectual Property, Labor and Employment, Litigation, Public Utility Regulatory, and Real Estate as well as through its consultancy, Calfee Strategic Solutions. A founding member of Lex Mundi, Calfee offers international representation through a network of independent law firms with access to 22,000 attorneys located in more than 125 countries. Additional information is available at Calfee.com.

About The M&A Advisor Awards

The M&A Advisor was founded in 1998 to offer insights and intelligence on M&A activities. Over the past 22 years, they have established the premier global network of M&A, Turnaround and Finance professionals.

About Omega Sea LLC

Founded in 1998, Omega Sea is a global leader in aquatic nutrition and care, offering premium pet products for fish, reptiles, amphibians, and crustaceans. With a commitment to quality, family, and sustainability, they create honest brands and innovative solutions for the aquatic hobbyist. For more information, visit OmegaSea.net.

About Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc.

Spectrum Brands Holdings, a member of the Russell 1000 Index, is a leading supplier of residential locksets, residential builders' hardware, plumbing, shaving and grooming products, personal care products, small household appliances, specialty pet supplies, lawn and garden and home pest control products, and personal insect repellents. Helping to meet the needs of consumers worldwide, Spectrum Brands offers a broad portfolio of market-leading, well-known and widely trusted brands including Kwikset^®, Weiser^®, Baldwin^®, National Hardware^®, Pfister^®, Remington^®, George Foreman^®, Russell Hobbs^®, Black+Decker^®, Tetra^®, Marineland^®, Nature's Miracle^®, Dingo^®, 8-in-1^®, FURminator^®, IAMS^® and Eukanuba^® (Europe only), Digest-eeze™, Healthy-Hide^®, Littermaid^®, Spectracide^®, Cutter^®, Repel^®, Hot Shot^®, Black Flag^® and Liquid Fence^®. For more information, please visit SpectrumBrands.com.