Ashurst advised marketing holding Performance Interactive Alliance (PIA) on the financing of the acquisition of Frankfurt-based online marketing agency SoQuero GmbH (SoQuero) by marketing agency blueSummit Media (blueSummit). SoQuero was sold by Intershop Communications AG (Intershop) for an undisclosed consideration.

BlueSummit is among the leading German agencies for international performance marketing, focussing on search engine optimisation, search engine advertising and affiliate marketing. Besides marketing businesses Performance Media, econda, blueSummit, DELASOCIAL and Dymatrix, BlueSummit is incorporated under the PIA holding.

The Ashurst team from Munich was led by finance partner Dr Bernd Egbers, comprising senior associate Carsten Endres, associate Dr Thomas Freund and transaction manager Susanne Kasnitz.

In March 2014, Ashurst had supported Equistone on the unitranche financing by Ares Capital of the acquisition of the four marketing agencies Performance Media, econda, Blue Summit Media and DELASOCIAL.