Herbert Smith Freehills advises Hartwood on the sale of AFD.TECH to Accenture

International leading law firm Herbert Smith Freehills has advised Hartwood, a multi-specialist consulting and engineering group, on the sale of AFD.TECH, an independent network services company specializing in network engineering, operations and business services, to Accenture, a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. 

This acquisition would add more than 1,600 highly skilled professionals to Accenture globally, along with multidisciplinary capabilities across engineering, design, deployment, and operation of next generation networks, such as 5G and fiber.

Founded in 1998, AFD.TECH serves leading telecom brands and clients across various other industries, including energy, industrial and infrastructure. The company is based in France with additional offices in Belgium and Morocco.

The acquisition requires prior consultation with the relevant works councils and would be subject to customary closing conditions.

Herbert Smith Freehills has advised Hartwood with a team led by partner Frédéric Bouvet, assisted by associates Martin Dijos and Alexia Pharès on corporate aspects; partner Bruno Knadjian, and associates Sylvain Piémont and Margaux Constantes, on tax matters; partner Sophie Brézin, and of counsel Elisabeth Debrégeas, on employment law aspects; partner Sergio Sorinas and associates Agathe Esch and Anne-Cécile Bing on aspects related to competition law.