King & Wood Mallesons has advised the Alain Afflelou group on the acquisition of Optical Discount from its founders.

The French optician chain Alain Afflelou, which has a network of around 1200 stores worldwide, has been owned since 2012 by Lion Capital (70%), alongside the management (16%) and Apax Partners (14%).

The group has now strengthened its low-cost offering with the acquisition of Optical Discount from its two founders, Stéphane Laloum and Gilles Meridjen. Founded in 1995, Optical Discount has over 90 stores and is present in both France and overseas, including Morocco and Belgium.

The KWM team comprised of Corporate partner Thomas Maitrejean, with associates Augustin Fleytoux and Edouard Baladès ; Tax partner Fanny Combourieu, with counsel Gwenaël Kropfinger and associate Etienne Bimbeau ; and Competition & EU Law partner Natasha Tardif and associate Aurélie Serna.

The firm regularly advises the Alain Afflelou group, with work including the recent refinancing of its existing debt package in 2014.