On 8 February 2021, Lonza entered into a definitive agreement with Bain Capital and Cinven to sell Lonza's Specialty Ingredients business and operations for an enterprise value of CHF 4.2 billion. The divestment will allow Lonza to refocus its business as a pure-play partner to the healthcare industry.

Lonza's Specialty Ingredients business operates across 17 manufacturing sites globally and has approximately 2,800 permanent employees. The business is a leading provider of microbial control solutions for professional hygiene and personal care products. It also offers the custom development and manufacturing of specialty chemicals and composites to support the electronics, aerospace, food and agrochemical industries. The transaction is anticipated to close in second half of 2021, subject to customary closing conditions.

Bär & Karrer has acted as lead counsel to Lonza on the complex carve-out as well as the subsequent sale of Lonza's Specialty Ingredients business. The team includes Urs Kägi, Rolf Watter, Nadina Duss, Michael Bänziger and Matthias Tanner (all M&A/Corporate and Commercial), Susanne Schreiber (Tax), Lukas Roesler (Finance), Ruth Bloch-Riemer (Pensions), Laura Widmer (Employment), Corrado Rampini and Rocco Rigozzi (both Real Estate), Mani Reinert (Competition), Thomas Stoltz and Frédéric Mancosu (both Notarial Services) as well as Markus Wang (IP).