Simpson Thacher represented Authority Brands and Apax Partners in connection with the acquisition, by Authority Brands, of Mosquito Squad, a leading outdoor pest control franchisor. The transaction was completed on December 7, 2018. The acquisition represents the second brand addition since Authority Brands was acquired by funds advised by Apax Partners in September 2018. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Founded in 2005, Mosquito Squad has over 250 franchisees in the U.S., Kenya, Indonesia and Puerto Rico. The company provides services to eliminate mosquitoes, ticks and the diseases they can bring to families and communities and was the creator of the mosquito barrier protection spray method.
Authority Brands is a leading home services franchising platform and the parent company to The Cleaning Authority (“TCA”), Homewatch CareGivers (“HWCG”) and America’s Swimming Pool Company (“ASP”). TCA franchisees provide residential cleaning services to more than 100,000 recurring customers, HWCG franchisees deliver at-home services including elderly, disabled and after-surgery care, as well as help for those living with dementia, and ASP franchisees provide swimming pool maintenance, repair and renovation. Authority Brands supports individual franchisee growth by providing strong marketing, technology and operational support. With the addition of Mosquito Squad, Authority Brands now has more than 750 franchise locations in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Kenya, Indonesia and Puerto Rico.
The Simpson Thacher team included Ben Schaye, Sung Jin and Beth DiSciullo (M&A); Gary Mandel, Sophie Staples and Pierce Pandolph (Tax); Brian Robbins, Jamin Koslowe and Andrew Mandelbaum (ECEB); Marcela Robledo and Alysha Sekhon (IP); Brian Steinhardt, James Doyle and Robert Meyer (Credit); Steven DeLott (Insurance); Richard Jamgochian (Regulatory); Dennis Loiacono (Real Estate); and Michael Isby (Environmental).