Category: Deals and Cases

Krehic & Partners, working alongside Deloitte Spain and Deloitte Legal Germany and Turkey, has advised Cementos Molins on the Croatian legal aspects of its EUR 150 million acquisition of Calucem from Private Equity Fund Ambienta SGR S.p.A. Cuatrecasas also reportedly advised the buyer. Porobija & Porobija reportedly acted as Croatian legal advisor to the seller.

The deal is expected to close in the last quarter of 2021, contingent on customary regulatory approval.

According to Krehic & Partners, the acquisition will “boost Cementos Molins’ growth and expand the offering of innovative solutions for the construction sector worldwide.”

Cementos Molins is a Spanish producer of cement that operates in Spain, Uruguay, Mexico, Bolivia, Colombia, Tunisia, and Bangladesh.

Calucem is a privately held calcium aluminate cement manufacturer. According to Krehic & Partners, the company operates a production plant in Pula, Croatia, and serves customers in more than 60 countries globally.

The Krehic & Partners team included Partner Matea Gospic Plazina, Attorney-at-Law Valerija Cerovski, and Associate Jelena Kraljevic.

Deloitte Legal Turkey’s team included Partner Lerzan Nalbantoglu, Legal Manager Burcu Tumer, Assistant Manager Zeynep Ozsoy, and Legal Associate Okan Karagoz.

Porobija & Porobija’s team was reportedly led by Zeljka Rostas Blazekovic.

AP Legal has advised the founder and sole shareholder of YU PD Express doo Belgrade Ljiljana Zivkovic Karaklajic on the sale of the company to Slovenia Broadbank S.a.r.l. Schonherr reportedly advised Slovenia Broadbank on the deal.

YU PD Express is a private provider of postal services. Slovenia Broadbank is a member of the United Group.

The AP legal team was lead by Partner Aleksandar Preradovic with the support of Consultant Maja Stojiljkovic.

Sorainen has advised Apollo Global Management on its acquisition of a majority stake in AS Graanul Invest. Ellex and White & Case advised the seller. Reportedly, Allen & Overy also advised the buyer.

Graanul is a producer of wood pellets, biomass, and bioenergy. The company employs more than 500 professionals across 12 pellets plants in the Baltics and U.S., as well as its six combined heat-and power plants in Estonia and Latvia.

Apollo is a New York-based investment management firm that holds approximately USD 461 billion of assets under management, as of March 31, 2021.

The Ellex team consisted of Estonia-based Partners Ermo Kosk, Marko Kairjak, Martin Maesalu, Martin Kaerdi, Counsels Dmitri Rozenblat, Rain Raa, Toomas Kasesalu, Jaanus Ikla, and Triin Frosch, Senior Associates Sandra Vark, Kaisa Laidvee, Liis Konn, and Hanna Pahk, Lawyer Karoli Tiirik, and Associates Karin Tartu, Merlin Liis-Toomela, and Liisbeth Lillo; Lithuania-based Partner Paulius Gruodis, Associate Partner Azuolas Cekanavicius, Senior Associates Mantas Juska, Nerijus Patlabys, Kristupas Spirgys, and Aiste Mikociuniene, Associates Arvydas Gruseckas, Paulius Vaitkevicius, and Domantas Gudonis, Junior Associates Vilius Norvaisas and Kotryna Seliutaite, and Associate Consultant Ruta Svedarauskiene; and Latvia-based Senior Partner Raimonds Slaidins and Senior Associate Reinis Sokolovs.

Sorainen’s team included, in Estonia, Partners Toomas Prangli and Piret Jesse, Counsels Piibe Lehtsaar and Pirkko-Liis Harkmaa, Senior Associates Robin Teever, Mirjam Vichmann, Triin Ploomipuu, Kaspar Endrikson, and Britta Retel, and Associates Liisa Maria Kuuskmaa, Kirsi Johanna Koistinen, Kadri Puu, Nele Suurmets, and Mirjam Metsik; in Lithuania, Partner Sergej Butov, Senior Associates Inga Macijauskaite, Aurelija Daubaraite, Vaiva Masidlauskiene, and Svetlana Rudaja, Associates Gabriele Raizyte, and Sidas Sokolovas, and Assistant Lawyer Goda Jakubauskaite; and in Latvia, Counsels Andis Burkevics and Renate Purvinska, Senior Associates Andris Vilisons, Natalija Sestakova, Zanda Frisfelde, and Associates Anna Bogdanova and Liva Aleksejeva.

The White & Case team consisted of U.K.-based Partner Ken Barry and associates Will Summers and Josephine Levick, Belgium-based Local Partner Thomas Glauden and Associate Edouard de Walque, and U.A.E.-based Associate Thomas Jacques.

TGS Baltic has advised the Akropolis Group on the acquisition of a ​​154,000 square-meter shopping center in Riga from Norway-based AMD Holding. Ellex Klavins advised the seller on the deal.

The Akropolis Group is a Lithuanian shopping and entertainment center development and management company in the Baltic States.

TGS Baltic’s Lithuania-based team included Partner Dalia Tamasauskaite-Ziliene, Senior Associate Indre Vickaite-Liatuke, and Associate Paulius Dabulskis. In Latvia, the team included Partners Andra Rubene and Linda Strause, Senior Associate Mara Stabulniece-Veldruma, Associates Aija Kreicberga and Kaspars Treilibs, Tax Advisor Rudolfs Vilsons, and Legal Assistant Martins Galzons. 

Ellex’s team included Latvia-based Senior Partner Filips Klavins, Associate Partner Martins Gailis, Senior Counsel Iveta Cpele, and Senior Associates Anna Misneva and Anete Dimitrovska. 

CMS has advised the ING Bank N.V. on its provision of a USD 100 million three-year syndicated loan to Nibulon SA.

According to CMS, “ING acted as one of the mandated lead arrangers and also as bookrunner, facility and security agent, the local and offshore account bank.”

Nibulon SA is a subsidiary of Ukraine’s agribusiness company Nibulon Group. According to CMS, “the loan will be used to finance seasonal working capital needs associated with Nibulon’s trading operations.”

The CMS team included Ukraine-based Partner Ihor Olekhov, Counsel Kateryna Chechulina, Associates Khrystyna Korpan and Ivan Pshyk, and Lawyers Iryna Kravchenko and Olga Stetsenko; Bulgaria-based Partner Elitsa Ivanova; and Switzerland-based Partners Kaspar Landolt and Mark Cagienard and Counsel Dominique Gemperli.

Porobija & Spoljaric and Lalicic & Boskoski Law Office have advised the founders of the City Connect Group on their sale of the company to Sweden’s Transcom. LK Shields and Tragardh Law Firm reportedly advised the sellers in Ireland and Sweden, respectively. Bradvica Maric Wahl Cesarec, Clark Hill Law, and Mannheimer Swartling reportedly advised the buyer in Croatia, Ireland, and Sweden, respectively.

According to Porobija & Spoljaric, Transcom, which entered the Croatian market 14 years ago, aims to position itself as the “leading BPO service provider in the Adriatic region.”

City Connect is a Croatian provider of omnichannel customer experience, sales, and marketing services.

Porobija & Spoljaric’s team included Managing Partner Marko Porobija, Senior Partner Marko Bencic, Junior Partner Luka Porobija, and Junior Associate Dora Stazic.

The Lalicic & Boskoski team consisted of Partners Martin Boskoski and Vedran Lalicic.

White & Case and Ellex Raidla have advised Legrand on its acquisition of Ensto Building Systems from Finnish electrical solution provider Ensto. Procope & Hornborg advised the seller.

Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

According to White & Case, Legrand’s primary areas of focus are electrical and digital building infrastructures. The company is active in nearly 90 countries and it employs more than 36,700 people as of 2020.

White & Case’s team included Warsaw-based Local Partner Marek Sawicki; Prague-based Local Partner Jan Jakoubek; London-based Partners Alan Burke, Nicholas Greenacre, Peita Menon, Will Smith, and Helen Joseph, and Counsel Paul Harrington; Helsinki-based Partner Timo Airisto and Associates Asta Tukiainen and Samuel Salmivirta; Madrid-based Partner Juan Manuel de Remedios and Local Partner Carlos Daroca; Paris-based Partners Hugues Mathez, Clara Hainsdorf, and Alexandre Jaurett; New York-based Partner Henrik Patel; Brussels-based Partner Axel Schulz; and Stockholm-based Partner Martin Jarvengren.

Ellex Raidla’s team consisted of Partner Risto Vahimets, Advocates Julia Kisseljova and Hanna Pahk, Tax Advisor Dmitri Rozenblat, and Lawyers Karin Tartu and Eliis Mets.

Procope & Hornborg’s team consisted of Partners Petri Kyllonen, Pia Tanskanen, Ismo Hentula, Asta Siponen, and Lotta Uusitalo, Counsel Tomi Haapman, Associates Sonja Heinonen, Sampsa Perttunen, Nora Hietanen, Katariina Rontu, and Helena Wist, and Trainees Hilma Laamanen, Leo Varttala, and Sari Oravainen.

Gessel has advised the Avallon Fund on the sale of its majority stake in EBS to the Sevenways Group holding. Legal Kraft and Motieka & Audzevicius advised the buyer in Poland and Lithuania, respectively.

Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

EBS is a developer of security systems, particularly in the field of GSM / GPRS and RFID technology.

According to Gessel, the Sevenways Group is a Lithuanian investment company focused on real estate and the energy industry, among other sectors, while Avallon is a Polish private equity fund manager.

Gessel previously advised the Avallon Fund on its acquisition of a majority stake in Clovin in 2020 (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on January 24, 2020).

Gessel’s team consisted of Partner Maciej Kozuchowski, Managing Associate Bartlomiej Wozniak, and Attorney-at-Law Diana Strzalkowska.

Motieka & Audzevicius’ team was led by Associate Aivaras Grigas.

Legal Kraft’s team included Partner Tomasz Rysiak and Junior Associate Marta Tomczak.

DWF has successfully represented the interests of Multikino S.A. in proceedings over lease agreements.

Multikino, which belongs to the Vue International Group was the first operator to open a multiplex in Poland in 1998. 

According to DWF, the proceedings “concern the formation of lease agreements in connection with the extraordinary change in economic relations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

DWF’s team included Local Partner Maciej Antoniak, Senior Associate Maria Kierska, and Associate Dominika Sarek.

Sayenko Kharenko and Turcan Cazac advised joint bookrunners Citigroup, ING, and Renaissance Capital on the tap issue of USD 50 million 8.45% secured notes due 2026 by Trans-Oil Group. Baker McKenzie and Gladei & Partners advised Trans-Oil Group. 

Trans-Oil Group is a vertically integrated agro-industrial holding with operating facilities in Moldova, Ukraine, Romania, and Serbia. According to Sayenko Kharenko, the additional notes will be consolidated with the existing USD 400 million notes that were issued by Trans-Oil Group earlier this year (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on June 25, 2021).

Sayenko Kharenko has previously advised Trans-Oil Group on a USD 300 Million Eurobond Issue in 2019 (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on July 31, 2019).

Sayenko Kharenko’s team was led by Partner Igor Lozenko and included Associates Oles Trachuk, Vladyslava Mitsai, and Sofiia-Mariia Kuzminska, and Junior Associate Oleksandr Motin.

Gladei & Partners’ team included Partner Roger Gladei, Senior Associate Dan Nicoara, Associate Vlad Roibu, and Junior Associate Vlad Bercu.

Baker McKenzie’s team included London-based Partners Roy Pearce and Megan Schellinger and Associate Maxim Khrapov, Moscow-based Partner Dmitry Dembich and Associates Adil Guseynov and Polina Govkelevich, and Kyiv-based Managing Partner Serhiy Chorny, Associates Hanna Smyrnova, and Junior Associate Masha Gorokh.

Turcan Cazac’s team included Partner Vadim Taigorba and Junior Associate Vasile Gavrilita.