Germany
Effective January 1, 2019, two female and five male Salaried Partners of Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek will be admitted in the equity partnership. Astrid Reich (Berlin) is a lawyer, Certified Specialist Lawyer in Employment Law, and a member of the Employment Law Practice Group. Jörn Matuszewski (Düsseldorf) is a lawyer, tax advisor, and Graduate in Tax Administration (University of Applied Sciences) and advises in the fields of Tax Law and Private Clients
Germany
Hamburg-based Partner Dr. Søren Pietzcker has been elected member of the Executive Committee of the Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance (GALA). As of 2019, he will hold the office of President EMEA and will be responsible for supporting the members in the EMEA region (Europe - Middle East - Africa). The Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance (GALA) is an alliance of lawyers located in over 100 countries
Germany
A team comprised of members of several offices led by Stuttgart-based Partner Dr. Peter Ladwig comprehensively advised diconium group GmbH and its managing shareholders on the sale of a 49% stake in diconium digital GmbH to Volkswagen AG and accompanied the transaction. The relevant agreements were signed on November 21, 2018. The sale is subject to approval by the antitrust authorities
Germany
Triton Smaller Mid-Cap Fund (TSM), a fund focusing on medium-sized companies advised by Triton, acquired a majority stake in NORRES Group. With a team led by Dr. Pär Johansson, Partner at the firm’s Cologne office, Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek advised Triton on the legal aspects of the acquisition. The partnership aims at promoting NORRES Group’s expansion strategy. Headquartered in Gelsenkirchen, NORRES is a manufacturer of industrial hoses with production sites in Germany, China, and the U.S
Germany
The law firm of Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek elected a new management board at its general partners’ meeting on November 17. In addition to various committees, an election for the management team is also held every three years. The current management board, which has been leading the firm for six years now, and in a slightly changed constellation for nine years, has been expanded by two partners. Dr. Andreas Urban and Dr. Hans Gummert will commence their fourth terms of office. Dr
Germany
FUNKE MEDIENGRUPPE and SIGNA Holding agreed on a partnership: SIGNA will take over a 49% stake in WAZ Ausland Holding GmbH from FUNKE MEDIENGRUPPE, which in turn holds shares in the “Kronen Zeitung” and “Kurier” newspapers. For the first time, SIGNA is therefore investing not only in real estate and retailing, but also in the media sector. The collaboration will start after approval by the competent antitrust authorities. Both parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price
Germany
Consulting firm Accenture has reached an agreement with the shareholders of Kolle Rebbe to take over their advertising agency. A team led by Dr. Peter Christian Schmidt, Partner at Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek’s Hamburg office, advised the Kolle Rebbe shareholders on the sale. Established in 1994, the agency is characterized by branding campaigns that combine award-winning creative work and digital customer interaction
Germany
Warburg-HIH Invest Real Estate (Warburg-HIH Invest) acquired the “Güterhallen” freight halls in Altona from Aurelis Real Estate. A team led by Dr. Sönke Görgens, Partner at Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek’s Hamburg office, advised the investment manager on the acquisition. The freight halls with an area of some 15,846 square meters are part of Hamburg’s “Mitte Altona” district development and are to be incorporated into an individual fund. The parties agreed not to disclose the purchase price
Germany
Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek’s partner Dr. Thorsten Kuthe and his team legally advised asknet AG’s rights issue to finance their growth plan. The public offering was one of the first capital measures using a short securities information sheet instead of a prospectus. The securities information sheet had to be permitted by BaFin to be published
Germany
Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek legally advised Döhler Ventures on the seed C funding round of Waterdrop Microdrink GmbH. As part of the funding round, several investors made total payments that are well into the seven-digit range. Döhler Ventures is an investor in nutrition & technology start-ups with numerous holdings in Europe and the USA. Waterdrop Microdrink GmbH is a Vienna-based start-up whose ‘waterdrop Microdrink’ brand has been the subject of extensive media coverage
Germany
The Cologne-based capital market team led by Partner Dr. Thorsten Kuthe advised Integrata AG on a squeeze-out under stock corporation law. The shares of the remaining shareholders were transferred to Qualification Star 2 GmbH, which holds 97.97% of Integrata AG’s share capital, against cash compensation. Integrata AG is a member of Cegos Group and a full-service provider of qualification projects, qualification processes, training logistics, and seminars
Germany
As sole lead manager, IKB Deutsche Industriebank AG accompanied the successful placement of a EUR 20 million corporate bond of Deutsche Entertainment Aktiengesellschaft (DEAG). A team led by Dr. Thorsten Kuthe, Partner at Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek, legally advised the bank. Offering an annual coupon of 6%, the bond is listed on Frankfurt Stock Exchange’s Open Market. The bond was placed with a wide range of institutional investors primarily from Germany, but also from Luxemburg and Switzerland
Germany
A team led by Düsseldorf-based Partner Dr. Michael Alberts advised two Swiss stock corporations on behalf of Swiss-based Procimmo AG on the acquisition of a site in Hanau where several building halls with a special real estate concept for “light industrial” are to be developed. The modular concept allows for flexible division and use of the individual building parts that is novel in Germany
Germany
A team led by Michael Neises, Partner at the Frankfurt office, advised the seller on the sale of M.E.D. Medical Products GmbH (M.E.D.) to Vision Ophthalmology Group (VOG). By acquiring M.E.D., VOG is expanding its range of services, strengthening its value chain, and continuing its expansion. M.E.D. will continue to operate as an independent business. M.E.D. is a specialist producer of customized procedure packs and disposable products used in ophthalmic surgery
Germany
A team led by Cologne-based Partner Dr. Thorsten Kuthe advised Accentro Real Estate AG and its joint bookrunners Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft and Quirin Privatbank AG on a cash capital increase as transaction counsel. Within a short period, 2,120,000 shares were placed, so that the capital increase was increased from up to EUR 1.6 million to EUR 2.12 million due to the high demand
Germany
A team led by Dr. Stefan Duhnkrack advised funds advised by PREMIUM Equity Partners, Frankfurt/Main, on the sale of all shares in weka group to Dutch Outdoor Life Group (OLG). weka, headquartered in Neubrandenburg, employs some 140 people and generates sales in excess of EUR 30 million. The group works in two concept worlds: The garden world segment includes garden houses, terrace roofing, children’s play equipment, swimming pools, and carports
Germany
A team led by Dr. Peter Zimmermann advised 6B47 Germany GmbH on the acquisition of a high-rise construction site of about 2,800 square meters in Offenbach Harbor. The company plans to erect an office building with a height of up to 70 meters referred to as the “Mainhafentower” on the eastern edge of the Offenbach Harbor development. An invitation to bid in an architectural competition with five applicants will be issued by the spring of 2019
Germany
A team led by Dr. Rainer Herschlein, Partner at the Stuttgart office, advised pump manufacturer Uraca GmbH & Co. KG on the acquisition of Nürtingen-based Dynajet GmbH. The acquisition allows Uraca to strategically expand its current product and service portfolio. Dynajet will remain an independent brand after the takeover
Germany
Nagel Holding GmbH & Co. KG invested in young growth company copaltec GmbH as part of a corporate investment. A team led by Dr. Rainer Herschlein, Partner at the Stuttgart office, legally advised Nagel Holding comprehensively. With this investment, Nagel Holding offers copaltec not only additional capital, but also strategic expertise and market access. Founded in 2012, copaltec GmbH, headquartered in Böblingen, develops and manufactures polyurethane-based casting compounds
Germany
A team led by private equity lawyer Dr. Andreas Lenz, Partner at the Cologne office, advised Lenbach Equity Opportunities I SCSp, a Luxemburg-based PE fund, on the sale of Lomapharm group. Lomapharm group’s core company is Lomapharm KG with over 140 years of tradition in pharmaceutical manufacturing. Lomapharm specializes in the development and manufacture of pharmaceuticals, food supplements, and medical products on behalf of pharmaceutical companies
Germany
NKT A/S sold its railway cable business to Swedish Elcowire Group AB to concentrate on its core business. Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek comprehensively advised NKT on corporate law, employment law, and real estate law during the transaction. Dr. Michael Sörgel, Partner in Düsseldorf and Prof. Dr. Martin Reufels, Partner in Cologne, were lead counsels in the transaction. Following the sale, NKT intends to focus on its core business of high-end power cables, accessories, and services in the future
Germany
A team led by Dr. Peter Vocke advised Domicil Real Estate Group on the sale of a portfolio consisting of eight existing properties, mainly in A-list cities with a total of almost 500 apartments. The portfolio, worth EUR 86 million, was bought by cooperation partner Wealthcap for its first fund, “Spezial Wohnen 1.” The properties are located in Düsseldorf-Hellerhof, Hamburg (Wandsbek and Borgfelde), Berlin (Treptow-Köpenick), Bielefeld-Jöllenbeck, and Gelsenkirchen-Mitte
Germany
Supported by the M&A team led by Hamburg-based partner Dr. Stefan Duhnkrack, ATH Altonaer-Technologie-Holding GmbH, headquartered in Hamburg and owner of KROENERT GmbH & Co KG, acquired all shares in Coatema Coating Machinery GmbH. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price. KROENERT and Coatema are machine and equipment manufacturers in the coating and converting industry and global leaders in their respective market segments
Germany
A team led by Dr. Peter Vocke, Partner at Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek’s Düsseldorf office, successfully advised a large-scale financial investor with business seat in New York City, New York, USA, on the acquisition of an office building portfolio consisting of three office buildings in North-Rhine Westphalia. The portfolio was under asset management of publity AG and comprises lease space of approximately 70,000 sqm. The parties agreed on confidentiality about the seller and purchase price
Germany
Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek advised HypoVereinsbank on the invitation to bid on and the re-awarding of the facility management for some 500 German properties used by banks, including data centers. Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek’s comprehensive legal advice ranged from drawing up the specifications to drafting and negotiating the new contract. The advisory team for HypoVereinsbank was jointly led by Dr. Carsten Schrader, Partner in Munich, and Dr. Thomas Nickel, Partner in Frankfurt
