Category: Deals and Cases

Havel & Partners, Savoric & Partners, ODI Law, and Hillbridges have advised a syndicate of banks on the approximately EUR 196 million syndicated cross-border refinancing loan to the CCC Group. Linklaters, Lakatos Koves & Partners, and Filip & Company reportedly advised the lenders as well.

The syndicate of banks included Bank Handlowy w Warszawie, Bank Millennium, BNP Paribas Bank Polska, Bank Polska Kasa Opieki, mBank, Powszechna Kasa Oszczednosci Bank Polski, Santander Bank Polska, and Santander Factoring.

According to Havel & Partners, the refinancing loan covering Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, and Slovakia was secured by a security package and will be used for the refinancing of CCC S.A. and its affiliates.

The Havel & Partners team was led by Partner Filip Cabart and Senior Associate Jakub Vojtech.

The Savoric & Partners team was led by Partner Mia Lazic and included Senior Associate Andrea Ruba and Associate Martin Hren.

The ODI Law team was led by Partner Suzana Boncina Jamsek and included Senior Associate Masa Drkusic and Associate Eva Hafnar.

The Hillbridges team included Partner Martin Cabak and Associate Patrik Giertl.

Editor’s Note: After this article was published, Kinstellar announced it had advised the CCC Group in Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Croatia.

Schoenherr, working with Pinsent Masons and Wenger Vieli, has advised Kontron on selling parts of Kontron Group’s IT services business to Vinci Energies during a competitive auction process, for approximately EUR 400 million. Reportedly, Baker McKenzie’s German office advised Vinci Energies. Loloci & Associates advised Kontron on Albanian matters.

The transaction remains contingent on regulatory approval.

Operations in eleven countries were included in the transaction. According to Schoenherr, “Vinci Energies, through its brand Axians, is a global information and communications technology group belonging to the listed French group Vinci. With the divestment of significant parts of Kontron Group’s IT services business, Kontron is following its growth strategy to becoming a pure IoT player and using its liquidity for further acquisitions.”

Kontron is an internet-of-things technology group, with about 6,000 employees and subsidiaries in 32 countries.

Schoenherr’s team included Austria-based Partners Christoph Moser, Christoph Haid, Roman Perner, Maximilian Lang, Guenther Leissler, Constantin Benes, and Michael Woller, Counsels Sascha Schulz, Johannes Stalzer, and Marco Thorbauer, Attorneys at Law Angelika Fischer and Michael Marschall, and Associates Verena Krikler, Lukas Pirringer, Irina Hanin, Michael Kern, Michael Sturmair, and Marie Hornyik; Croatia-based Attorneys at Law Dina Vlahov Buhin and Ksenija Sourek; Czech Republic-based Partner Vladimir Cizek and Attorney at Law Michal Jendzelovsky; Moldova-based Managing Partner Vladimir Iurkovski and Attorney at Law Andrian Guzun; Montenegro-based Attorney at Law Jovan Barovic and Associate Petar Vucinic; Poland-based Managing Partner Pawel Halwa; Serbia-based Partner Luka Lopicic and Attorney at Law Djordje Trifunovic; Slovakia-based Partner Sona Hekelova and Attorney at Law Jan Farbiak; and North Macedonia-based Partner Andrea Radonjanin and Attorney at Law Andrea Lazarevska. 

The Loloci & Associates team included Partners Krenar Loloci and Vera Batalli.

Kinstellar and its Turkish affiliate Gen Temizer Ozer have advised Baskent Dogalgaz Dagitim and Torunlar Enerji on their acquisition of CEZ Group’s 50% stake in Akcez Enerji. Skils and, reportedly, Norton Rose Fulbright Turkish affiliate Pekin Bayar Mizrahi advised the CEZ Group on the sale.

The transaction remains contingent on regulatory approval.

According to Kinstellar, Akcez, a joint venture of the CEZ Group and Akkok Group, “owns the electricity distribution, sale, and services businesses Sakarya Elektrik Dagitim and Sakarya Elektrik Perakende Satis, which together serve two million customers and operate 60,000 kilometers of distribution networks in the Sakarya province. Following final closure of the deal, [the CEZ Group] will exit its existing joint venture with the Akkok Group.”

Baskent Dogalgaz Dagitim Gayrimenkul Yatirim Ortakligi is the second-largest gas distributor in Turkey. Torunlar Enerji Sanayi ve Ticaret is a Turkish investment holding company and the majority owner of Baskentgaz.

The CEZ Group, headquartered in the Czech Republic, is a utility company.

Kinstellar’s team in the Czech Republic included Partner Kamil Blazek and Associate Matej Vecera. Gen Temizer Ozer’s team included Partners Edmund Emre Ozer and Mufit Arapoglu, Senior Associate Seyma Olgun, and Associates Nazli Kardesler and Ege Erol.

The Skils team included Partners Karel Drevinek and Vladimir Kykal and Senior Associate Tomas Bayer.

BNT Attorneys in CEE has advised Aros Marine on the insolvency proceedings of Germany’s MV Werften group.

Lithuanian company Aros Marine operates in the marine industry and specializes in new build and refurbishment ship projects. MV Werften is a Hong-Kong-German shipbuilder that operated three shipyards in the eastern part of Germany, to construct cruise ships for its parent company Genting Hong Kong.

“MV Werften filed for insolvency in January 2022 and an administrator was appointed, first in provisional insolvency proceedings and, as of March 1, 2022, in regular insolvency proceedings,” BNT reported. “Aros Marine sought advice on German insolvency law to assess their position and minimize their risk exposure under certain contracts concluded with MV Werften for provision of works and materials for the construction of the mega cruiser Global Dream I, with approximately EUR 1 billion construction costs in the Germany shipyard.”

The BNT team was led by Vilnius-based Partner Frank Heemann.

Editor’s Note: After this article was published, Pohla & Hallmagi announced that it had advised LTH-Baas on MV Werften Wismar’s insolvency proceedings. The Pohla & Hallmagi team was led by Partners Asko Pohla and Martin Mannik.

Konieczny Wierzbicki & Partners has advised on the establishment of the Light and Love Home in Poland and the acquisition of a hostel to support Ukrainian refugees.

“Our law firm was approached by the founders of a foreign Catholic religious association, originating from Hong Kong, who wanted to acquire a hostel in Poland as part of their business to support refugees from Ukraine,” the firm informed. “From the beginning, they were interested in acquiring property in Zabrze – a city that is part of the Upper Silesian Metropolis. This industrial area is a strategic point on the map of Poland, as it concentrates most of the investments related to mining and metallurgical activities.”

According to KWKR, following the registration of the business in the National Court Register, the Light and Love Home in Poland and the Church of God foundation in Zabrze have been established, with the latter acquiring property in the city. “The founders of a Catholic religious association from Hong Kong will be able to offer support to refugees from Ukraine,” the firm added.

Dentons has advised private investment firm B-Flexion and the Affidea Group on the sale of Affidea to Groupe Bruxelles Lambert. Kirkland & Ellis reportedly advised the buyer.

Founded in 1991, Affidea is a European diagnostic imaging, outpatient, and cancer care services provider. The company has 320 centers in 15 European countries.

B-Flexion is a private investment firm with offices in Europe and the United States.

Groupe Bruxelles Lambert is a Euronext Brussels stock exchange-listed investment holding company.

The Dentons team was led by Budapest-based Partner Rob Irving and Senior Associate Kamran Pirani and included Associates Sebastian Ishiguro and Brigitta Kovacs, Prague-based Partner Petr Zakoucky and Senior Associate Adam Prerovsky, Warsaw-based Pharmaceutical Consulting Director Maria Samolinska-Hojda and Counsel Adam Odojewski, Bucharest-based Partner Perry Zizzi and Counsel Doru Postelnicu, Istanbul-based Partner Dogan Eymirlioglu, Counsel Cisem Altundemir, and Associate Denizhan Uslu, as well as lawyers from the firm’s Milan, Barcelona, Madrid, and Luxembourg offices.

Bird & Bird has advised Hungary’s OTP Bank Group on its acquisition of the Albanian subsidiary of Greek Alpha Bank for EUR 55 million. White & Case advised Alpha Services and Holdings. Boga & Associates reportedly advised OTP as well. Kalo & Associates reportedly also advised Alpha.

According to Bird & Bird, “Alpha Bank is the eighth largest bank in Albania with a market share of nearly 5% by assets and, as a universal bank, it is active in both the retail and corporate sectors. The deal creates a leading banking group in Albania, which will hold a share of about 11% of the market based on assets.”

Bird & Bird’s team included Partner Pal Szabo, Counsel Daniel Aranyi, Senior Associates Daria Szabo and Gabor Kutai, and Associate Eszter Gal.

White & Case’s team included lawyers from the firm’s Dubai and London offices.

JSK and Solivan have advised Topforsport on its acquisition of shares in Eleven Teamsports Polska from Robert Julga.

Topforsport is a sports equipment e-commerce company.

According to JSK, Eleven Teamsports Polska is one of the three biggest internet shops for football equipment in Europe.

JSK’s team was led by Partner Tomas Dolezil and included Senior Lawyer Jana Pospisilova.

Solivan’s team was led by Partner Kamil Zurek.

SSW Pragmatic Solutions has advised the Avallon MBO PE Fund on the full disposal of its stake in Novo Tech to Isosport Verbundbauteile Gesellschaft of the Constantia Industries group. Masiota advised the buyers. Filip & Company and MVVP reportedly also advised Avallon. SRG Stock Rafaseder Gruszkiewicz and Maruta Wachta reportedly also advised the buyers.

Avallon is a management buyout company in Poland. Since its inception, it has participated in over 100 such transactions.

Novo Tech operates in the manufacturing of polyethylene products, including splash guards and windshield wipers, as well as household doormats.

According to SSW, “this transaction will strengthen the Avallon MBO market position and product portfolio and will result in the integration of 145 employees in three locations into the Isosport Group.”

SSW’s team included Partners Pawel Chyb, Renata Patoka, Lukasz Karpiesiuk, Anita Palukiewicz, Katarzyna Szczudlik, and Andrzej Wloch, Counsels Anna Sekowska and Robert Wodzynski, Senior Associate Leszek Cyganiewicz, and Associates Wojciech Szaruch, Bartosz Kuziola, Cezary Gizinski, Joanna Berzynska-Garal, Tomasz Pietrzyk, and Aleksandra Czubek.

Masiota’s team included Managing Partner Hubert Masiota, Senior Associate Marcin Dybowski, and Lawyer Daniel Jastrun.

Editor’s Note: After this article was published, Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen announced that it had advised Isosport on the acquisition. “The transaction involved two production sites located in Poland and Romania (Oradea) which the Novo Tech Group operates, with an additional sales location in Belgium,” the firm informed. The NNDKP team included Partner Corina Dumitru and Senior Associate Claudia Lazar.

Batarelo Dvojkovic Vuchetich and Bojovic Draskovic Popovic & Partners have advised Infobip on its acquisition of Netokracija.

Infobip is one of Croatia’s unicorns and a communications platform provider. Netokracija is a digital media company and magazine focused on start-ups, digital marketing, and technology, based in both Croatia and Serbia.

BDV’s team included Partner Laurenz Vuchetich and Attorney Marko Bohacek.

BD2P’s team included Partner Vuk Draskovic and Senior Associates Milica Pesteric and Milos Andrejevic.

The firms could not provide additional information about the deal.