Guess appoints legal advisors as it mulls WHP takeover bid

US premium brand Guess has confirmed that it has appointed financial and legal advisors to aid its Special Committee assigned to evaluate a non-binding takeover proposal received from an affiliate of WHP Global.

Guess said the advisors were called in to determine what is in the best interest of the company and its shareholders, as WHP Investments seeks to acquire outstanding shares that are not currently held by specified shareholders.

In separate statements, law firms Levi & Korsinsky LLP and Kaskela Law LLC both confirmed that they had commenced investigations into the fairness of the proposed purchase.

According to Kaskela, the current 13 dollars per share offer is “significantly lower than Guess’s 52-week high price of over 33 dollars per share and lower than analyst price targets on GES shares of over 18 dollars per share”.

Guess noted that there was no guarantee that a definitive offer or agreement would be secured. No further comments will be made on the matter until the evaluation is complete.

WHP Global had first established a relationship with Guess in April 2024, when the duo teamed up to acquire the intellectual property and operating assets of fashion brand Rag & Bone.

The New York label has since contributed strongly to Guess’ financial success in recent months, with its revenue growth of 5 percent for the fourth quarter of FY25 said to be significantly influenced by the acquisition of Rag & Bone.