DWF has advised global technical services provider Keywords Studios on the acquisitions of Paris-based La Marque Rose SARL, Asrec SAS and the subsidiary companies of holding company, Dune Media SAS, trading as Dune Sound and Around the Word, for a total aggregate consideration of up to €7.6 million.

Teams from DWF's London and Paris offices advised Keywords Studios, a technical services provider to the global video games industry with studios in Dublin, London, Barcelona, Milan, Rome, Tokyo, Singapore, Shanghai, New Delhi, Pune, Montreal, Seattle, Los Angeles and Rio de Janeiro. With over 1,500 games employees around the world, Keywords provides a range of translation, testing, audio, customer care and art production services to video game developers and publishers.

All three acquired companies provide audio recording and localisation services to the video games industry internationally. The deal allows Keywords to consolidate the leading providers of audio and localisation services in French which, together with German, remain the most important localised languages for games. It sees the integration of La Marque Rose, Dune Sound, Around the Word and Asrec with its existing recording studio in Paris, and the scale of the combined operation will support an investment of around €1 million in new audio recording studios and offices that will accommodate all 50 employees in a single location.
 
All but one of the six founders and shareholders will remain in the businesses with Michel Golgevit, founder of Dune, being appointed as CEO of the combined companies.
 
Anne-Sylvie Vassenaix-Paxton, corporate partner in Paris, led the team which advised Keywords on the acquisitions, which also included Matthew Doughty, head of the London corporate team.

Matthew Doughty, head of the London corporate team at DWF, said: "We're pleased to have advised Keywords, a long standing client, on a series of transactions which represent an important milestone in the development of the Keywords group's Localisation and Audio Services business lines in Europe. This cross border deal reflects the capability of DWF's international expertise and fast-growing stature in the French market."