Category: Poland

JDP Drapala & Partners has advised the Sanok Rubber Company on its acquisition of ventilated facade and fixing technology service provider BSP Bracket System Polska.

The Sanok Rubber Company focuses on the production of rubber products, rubber-metal products, and combinations of rubber with other plastics.

According to JDP, “by making BSP Bracket System Polska part of the group, the Sanok Rubber Company is pursuing a strategy of transformation towards the supply of system solutions and achieving a higher level of product diversification.”

JDP’s team included Partners Marcin Chomiuk, Michal Jagielski, Anna Matusiak-Wekiera, Joanna Ostojska-Kolodziej, and Wojciech Merkwa, Counsel Marcin Lewinski, Senior Associates Magdalena Bartnik and Ewa Mondziel, and Associates Martyna Kwiatek, Tomasz Glozowski, Katarzyna Jakubowska-Kaleta, and Dominik Grzegorzewski.

JDP did not respond to our inquiry on the matter.

Rymarz Zdort Maruta has advised Polska Grupa Energetyczna on the formation of PGE PAK Energia Jadrowa – a joint venture of PGE and ZE PAK, each with a 50% shareholding – for the development of Poland’s second nuclear power plant to be constructed in Patnow. 

According to Rymarz Zdort Maruta, “the purpose of the new company is to prepare the Polish side for negotiations with the Korean company KHNP (Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power), which will build and provide the technology and know-how for Poland’s second nuclear power plant to be constructed in Patnow, in the Wielkopolskie region. A preliminary memorandum of understanding regarding the formation of the company was signed in early March 2023. In late March, PGE and ZE PAK obtained the consent of the President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection for the formation of the company.”

The Rymarz Zdort Maruta team included Partners Marek Durski, Marek Maciag, and Iwona Her, Counsel Lukasz Lech, Senior Associate Tomasz Kordala, and Associate Andrzej Granat.

Rymarz Zdort Maruta could not provide additional information on the matter.

WKB Lawyers has advised Centrum Rozliczen Elektronicznych Polskie ePlatnosci on its acquisition of a stake in mobile application developer QRTAG.

The PeP company belongs to the Nexi Group – a Europe-focused payments specialist. 

In 2022, WKB Lawyers advised on Polskie ePlatnosci’s acquisition of Team4U (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on July  27, 2022) and, in 2019, on its acquisition of Billbird (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on February 28, 2019).

WKB’s team included Partner Jakub Jedrzejak, Advocate Joanna Ksepko, and Lawyers Dominik Kulpa and Mateusz Malinowski.

WKB did not respond to our inquiry on the matter.

DLA Piper has advised Halma on its acquisition of Sewertronics for an initial sale price of EUR 41 million. Gomez-Acebo & Pombo and Wardynski & Partners reportedly advised the sellers.

The transaction remains contingent on regulatory approval. The transfer price may be increased by an additional EUR 18 million, subject to conditions.

Halma is a UK-based global group of technology companies, employing more than 7,500 people in more than 20 countries.

According to DLA Piper, Sewertronics, based in Bialobrzegi, deals with the “repair and renovation of sewage pipelines, using a technique that does not require excavation, by inserting a lining into the pipe, which is then cured using innovative and patented ultraviolet LED technology.”

According to the firm, “the acquisition of Sewertronics is part of the Halma Group’s growth strategy to acquire companies committed to a safer, clean and healthy future. Over the past ten years, Halma has invested more than GBP 1 billion for this purpose.”

DLA Piper’s team included Partners Marta Frackowiak and Piotr Miller, Senior Associate Michal Sowinski, and Junior Associate Filip Wilczynski.

Editor’s Note: This article originally stated that Gomez-Acebo & Pombo and Wardynski & Partners had reportedly advised Halma as well. The article was changed on May 15, 2023, to reflect the correct role of those firms.

Former Baker McKenzie Partner Magdalena Nasilowska has joined Allen & Overy’s Warsaw Corporate Practice as a Partner. Counsel Piotr Szczecinski and Associate Jakub Zebrowski also joined the firm alongside Nasilowska.

According to Allen & Overy, Nasilowska will focus on developing the Tech M&A practice. Before joining Allen & Overy, she spent four years with Baker McKenzie as a Partner. Before that, she spent almost ten years with DLA Piper, having joined the firm in 2009 as a Junior Associate.

“We are delighted to welcome Magdalena to our team to help us continue to expand our offering,” Warsaw office Managing Partner Arkadiusz Pedzich commented. “As a practitioner, Magdalena has a strong background and a deep knowledge in the tech and defense sectors. Her expertise and network will complement our existing offering and enable us to provide our clients with the best possible service and solutions in this dynamic and competitive market.”

“I’m thrilled to be joining the Allen & Overy team,” Nasilowska added. “I’m looking forward to bringing my expertise to A&O’s client base.” 

White & Case has advised a syndicate of banks on CCC’s over PLN 505 million offer of series M ordinary bearer shares and new series L ordinary registered shares in an accelerated book-building process. Greenberg Traurig reportedly advised CCC.

According to White & Case, “the managers of the offer included PKO BP and mBank, acting as the co-offering agents, Santander Bank Polska – Santander Biuro Maklerskie, Pekao Investment Banking, Bank Handlowy w Warszawie – Department Maklerski Banku Handlowego, and Citigroup Global Markets Europe, which together with the co-offering agents are acting as the global coordinators, and Bank Pekao – Biuro Maklerskie Pekao, Trigon Dom Maklerski, and BNP Paribas.”

“The offer included the sale of 5.88 million series L shares and 8.12 million series M shares at a fixed price of PLN 36.11 per share,” White & Case informed. “Both Polish and foreign investors’ demand for shares far exceeded the issue of 14 million new shares. The company is planning to allocate the funds raised from the share issue to working capital and its financing structure in the context of high-interest rates and CCC’s effort to reduce debt.”

CCC is a Warsaw Stock Exchange-listed company that specializes in the footwear sector, with approximately 90 e-commerce platforms and 950 stores in 28 countries under the CCC, Eobuwie.pl, Modivo, and DeeZee brands.

The White & Case team included Partners Marcin Studniarek and Rafal Kaminski, Local Partner Monika Duzynska, and Associate Damian Lubocki.

Editor’s Note: After this article was published, Greenberg Traurig confirmed it had advised CCC. The firm’s team was led by Partner Rafal Sienski and included Senior Associates Grzegorz Socha and Michal Baldowski, Associate Lukasz Chmura, and Junior Associates Szymon Swierszcz and Natalia Potrubacz.

Clifford Chance has advised Norsk Hydro on a renewed tender offer for the purchase of 100% of the shares in Alumetal. Penteris advised Alumetal.

The transaction remains contingent on regulatory approval.

“A tender offer was first launched in April 2022, which later expired during the European Commission’s extended merger review,” Norsk Hydro announced in a press statement.

“The transaction implies an enterprise value of approximately PLN 1.617 billion based on the latest reported net debt for the financial year of 2022 and dividends payable of PLN 164.5 million with the dividend payment date falling on 27 July 2023,” Clifford Chance informed. “The transaction will strengthen Hydro’s recycling position in Europe and widen its product offering in the low-carbon and scrap-based foundry alloy market.”

Norsk Hydro is an Oslo-headquartered aluminum and energy company, providing services for a range of market segments for aluminum, energy, metal recycling, renewables, and batteries.

Alumetal is a Warsaw Stock Exchange-listed Polish company producing casting aluminum alloys in Europe, with plants in Poland and Hungary.

“The acquisition of Alumetal would be a strong strategic fit towards delivering on Hydro’s recycling strategy,” Hydro Aluminium Metal Head Eivind Kallevik commented. “We see a growing demand for recycled low-carbon aluminum in Europe. Forward-leaning customers are leading the way in decarbonizing materials used in the production of automotive, building and construction, and consumer durables.”

Clifford Chance and Penteris had also advised on Norsk Hydro’s initial tender offer for the purchase of Alumetal (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on Mat 6, 2022).

The Clifford Chance team was led by Counsel Jaroslaw Lorenc and included Senior Associates Katarzyna Aleksandrowicz and Marta Szczecinska, Associate Krzysztof Regucki, and Junior Associate Marcin Waszynski.

The Penteris team included Partners Wojciech Fabrycki and Tomasz Kudelski, Senior Associate Jeremiasz Kusmierz, and Associate Aleksandra Rogalska.

Gide Warsaw has advised Mindspace on opening a co-working space in the Skyliner skyscraper in Warsaw and its lease agreement with Karimpol Polska. CMS reportedly advised Karimpol Polska.

“Mindspace’s new 4,400 square meters of offices in the Skyliner Building are spread over three floors and offer more than 600 workstations, including private offices, meeting rooms, and lounge areas,” Gide informed.

Mindspace has 40 co-working spaces located in 20 cities and seven countries in Europe, the US, and Israel.

The Gide team was led by Partner Blazej Czwarnok.

Kondracki Celej, working with Orrick, has advised Dogmates – trading as Butternut Box B Corp – on its acquisition of PsiBufet. Think Legal advised the PsiBufet founder and shareholders.

PsiBufet, registered as Feedwell, is a Polish dog food company.

“Co-founded by Kevin Glynn and David Nolan in 2016, Butternut Box makes and delivers fresh dog food to customers in the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium – and now Poland,” Kondracki Celej informed. “The company raised more than GBP 100 million from industry-leading investors and has made a strategic investment in PsiBufet in 2021.”

The Kondracki Celej team was led by Partner Rafal Celej and included Senior Associate Karolina Piotrowska-Andryszczyk, Associate Marta Olbrys, and Trainee Lawyers Gabriela Lewicka and Monika Twerdochlib.

The Think Legal team was led by Partner Oskar Kopinski and included Senior Associate Jozef Sadowski, Associate Mikolaj Kowalczyk, and Junior Associate Magdalena Walczak.

Lukasz Lanoszka, Paulina Opielka, and Mariusz Purgal have been appointed as Partners with KWKR Konieczny Wierzbicki & Partners in Krakow. 

Lanoszka, the Property Department lead, focuses on commercial and residential real estate matters. He has been with the firm since 2014.

Opielka, the Head of the Corporate Department, specializes in company law, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate restructuring. She has been with the firm since 2017. Before joining KWKR, she spent almost two years with Tyniec Kostrz i Wspolnicy.

Purgal is the Head of the Compliance Department. According to KWKR, he has significant experience in “all legal aspects related to regulatory risk, personal data protection, and business ethics.” Purgal has been with the firm since 2020 when he joined as a Counsel. Prior to that, he spent almost two years with Olesinski & Wspolnicy and over five years with Tomasik, Pakosiewicz, and Groele.

“The new partners are not only excellent specialists in their fields, but also have a deep understanding of the market, which results in high quality of their work and services,” commented Managing Partners Michal Konieczny and Marcin Wierzbicki. “We warmly congratulate our colleagues on their promotion, which is an important achievement in their career and a source of pride for the entire firm.”

“We would like to especially thank our colleagues from the property, corporate, and compliance teams,” added the new partners. “This success is the result of your hard work and dedication. We are delighted to have such a fantastic and invaluable team of lawyers who support us in our daily efforts.”