Barabino & Partners acquires B2P Communications

NEW YORK, Jan. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- New year, stronger ambitions. Barabino & Partners (B&P), the leading Italian communications group with fully owned subsidiaries in London, Berlin and New York, today announces the completion of the acquisition of B2P Communications Consulting (B2P), a Franco-German consulting firm specialised in strategic communication and media relations, with offices in Paris, Berlin and Munich.

The move will enable B&P and B2P to support their clients across Europe while having a bridgehead across the Atlantic, thanks to approximately 130 professionals in eight offices.

The deal strengthens both firms' competitive positioning as Public Relation, Public Affairs and Communications Advisors to European and non-European businesses operating in a wide range of key industrial sectors as well as in financial markets.

During an initial transition phase, B2P will remain independent and will continue to be led by its founder Bénédicte de Peretti alongside Federico Steiner, Managing Director and Equity Partner of B&P. Philipp Lehmann will progressively take over the responsibility for B2P's German and international activities, while Frank Paul Weber will lead the team in Paris.

The German subsidiary of B&P, Barabino&P. Deutschland GmbH, founded in 2009, will continue to be managed by Partner Laura Bruzzone, with the aim of progressively strengthening group synergies, including those already in place with B&P UK Plc., headed in London by Pietro Como, and B&P USA LLC, led in New York by Marco Lastrico.

"When approaching B2P we were first of all attracted its distinctive positioning on the Franco-German axis, i.e. two of the most important European markets and two key countries for the European Unions - said Federico Steiner, Equity Partner and Managing Director at Barabino & Partners. We will build on this angle by adding our strong capabilities in other significant countries such as Italy, UK and USA, thus strengthening our mutual capabilities to serve clients in key-markets".

"Almost 9 years after founding B2P, it was crucial for me to enter the next level and expand our service offering to Europe", said Bénédicte de Peretti, founder of B2P. "Today, we are glad to join Barabino & Partners in order to strengthen our positioning as part of a leading group with great ambitions and resources, offering tremendous assets and prospects for our further development.  In this framework, I am delighted with the arrival of Frank-Paul reinforcing the new ambitions of B&P."

"My first thank goes to Bénédicte de Peretti and Federico Steiner who imagined and bravely executed this business combination despite the uncertainty linked to the coronavirus outbreak, said Luca Barabino, Founder and CEO at Barabino & Partners. I am happy to welcome the new colleagues of B2P GmbH into Barabino & Partners Group, a company that has been able to grow in 35 years becoming market leader firstly in Italy and then at international level in the PR Industry, through an independent and entrepreneurial approach driven by ethical values, social commitment and internal cohesion." 

According to one of the most qualified PR advisors rankings, Acuris' Mergermarket, B&P ranked 5^th in Europe and 8^th in the world for volume of M&A and extraordinary finance transactions last year, confirming a growth trajectory that has placed it at the top of national and international rankings for over a decade.

B&P currently employs around 110 people in six offices: Milan, Rome, Genoa, Berlin, London and New York. Together with B2P, the group grows to approximately 130 people with revenues exceeding $ 20.5 million (18 million Euro).

Earlier this year, B&P announced that it begun its B Corp certification process.

Advisors to Barabino & Partners on the transaction were Cattaneo dall'Olio Rho & Partners (strategic and financial advisor), Eversheds Sutherland (legal, tax and labour advisor), TCF - Team Corporate Finance Consult GmbH (Financial Due Diligence) and Anwaltskanzlei Donà Viscardini (Administration advisor).

SOURCE Barabino & Partners USA