Category: Uncategorized

Raidla Lejins & Norcous has represented the Baltcap Private Equity Fund II in its acquisition of the remaining 25% of shares in Ecoservice from AWT Holding — which was represented by Tark Grunte Sutkiene. The value of the transaction was approximately EUR 3.5 million.

BaltCap — which RLN describes as “the leading dedicated private equity and venture capital investor in the Baltic States” — made its initial investment in Ecoservice at the start of 2014 by acquiring a 75% stake in a transaction valued at EUR 15 million. 

Raidla Lejins & Norcous’ work included the drafting of complex transaction documents, negotiating, and other legal assistance with transaction-related matters. The firm’s team was led by Managing Partner Irmantas Norkus and Juozas Rimas, the Head of the Firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions Practice Group.

Magnusson has advised Octava in connection with the purchase by the subsidiaries of its affiliate — the Octava Fizan investment fund — of two office buildings in Poland from Lithuanian real estate fund BPT Optima.  

BPT Optima, which is managed by Northern Horizon Capital, was represented by Clifford Chance. The transaction closed in January 2015. 

The first of these acquisitions was the Obrzezna Building in the Mokotow district in Warsaw, which contains 9,600 square meters of office space. The second acquisition involved the Baltic Business Center, which is located in the center of Gdynia and has 11,300 square meters of office space. 

Magnusson provided Octava with comprehensive legal advice concerning the transaction, including performing the legal due diligence of the real properties and drafting, negotiating, and executing the purchase agreements and auxiliary agreements. The Magnusson team was led by Partner Katarzyna Sawa-Rybaczek, and also included Partner Przemyslaw Kastyak and Associates Malgorzata Blahuciak, Tomasz Rysiak, and Witold Jarzynski, and trainees Zuzanna Wencel-Czuryszkiewicz, Izabela Zmijewska and Kamil Stelmach.

Djingov, Gouginsky, Kyutchukov, & Velichkov has successfully represented Punto FA before the Sofia Appellate Court in “a commercial dispute related to the voidness, voidabiliy, or unenforceability of legal acts detrimental to creditors in cross border insolvency.”

According to a statement released by the firm, the Sofia Appellate Court has revoked the decision of the court of first instance against Punto FA, and dismissed the claims brought against the company.

Punto FA — trading as MANGO — designs, manufactures, and markets garments and accessories for women and men. The company was founded in 1984 and is based in Barcelona, Spain. 

The Austrian MSP-Law intellectual property boutique is among four European firms joining the Incopro international law firm network.

Incopro — an online rights monitoring and protection service — has expanded its international legal network to promote knowledge-sharing and cooperation between member firms, and to provide further expert legal advice and enforcement resources to clients. The four new members joining the UK and Brussels-based Wiggin LLP and the US-based Jenner & Block extend the Incopro alliance to Germany (Boehmert & Boehmert), Switzerland (Lens Caemmerer), Austria (MSP-Law), and Sweden (MAQS Sweden). 

According to a statement released by Incopro, the alliance’s “technology targets action at the major threats facing intellectual property owners online, and covers IP infringements across web marketplaces, websites, domain names, app stores, social media and advertising. By working with a network of specialist law firms, each one a leader in online IP protection in their own jurisdiction, clients can take direct action on the ground and in multiple territories if necessary.”

Simon Baggs, Incopro Managing Director, said, “we’re delighted to welcome Boehmert & Boehmert, Lenz Caemmerer, MAQS Sweden, and MSP-LAW to Incopro’s legal network. The continued growth of the legal network creates a virtuous circle for all involved, and signals the emergence of an important new resource for IP owners.”

According to the Incopro statement: “MSP-Law (previously known as Manak & Partners) is an Austrian boutique law firm based in Vienna and specializing in copyright, trade mark, design, competition, IT, privacy, real estate, company, contract, commercial, and public law. Founding partner Andreas Manak has represented the Austrian film industry in anti-piracy matters for many years. He and his partners are leading experts in enforcing IP rights online, including the implementation of blocking orders in Austria. They represent their clients, including publishing houses, movie producers, record labels and IP traders, in court and at official industry conferences.”

Herbst Kinsky has advised Humanetics Innovative Solutions — a division of Safety Holdings Technology Holdings — on its acquisition of FronTone GmbH, a leading manufacturer of advanced safety test equipment.

FronTone serves customers such as Daimler, BMW, Volkswagen, Volvo, Opel/GM, and Jaguar Land Rover, as well as a number of prominent automotive suppliers. Lead counsel on all aspects of German Law was Kirkland & Ellis.

Herbst Kinsky advised Humanetics on the transfer of all material IP into FronTone by way of a contribution of a separate entity held by the major shareholders prior to closing. The team of Herbst Kinsky was led by Christoph Wildmoser, and also included Sonja Hebenstreit, Alexander Weber, and Tanja Lang (Employment). 

Binder Groesswang has represented Magna Steyr — the Austria-based operating unit of Magna International — in the sale of its entire battery packs business to Samsung SDI. The Varnum law firm advised on United States and Michigan law, and White & Case advised on Chinese law. Samsung was represented by Allen & Overy.

The deal was executed on February 23, 2015, and closing is expected soon. The value of the deal was not disclosed.

The deal includes plants in Michigan, Austria, and China, part of the assets the Canadian auto parts giant picked up when it paid USD 75 million in 2012 to buy out the interest in Magna E-Car Systems, held by Magna founder Frank Stronach.

Binder Groesswang drafted and negotiated the transaction documentation (including the main purchase agreement), and conducted the vendor’s due diligence. The firm’s team was led by Partner Michael Kutschera, and included Senior Associate Markus Klepp.

Allen & Overy’s team was led by Partner Sven Prufer.

Addendum: CHSH has reported that it also advised Samsung SDI on the transaction, working alongside Allen & Overy on the buy-side. The firm’s team was led by Managing Partner Albert Birkner, working with Senior Associate Elisabeth Strobl (Corporate/M&A, Real Estate). The team also included CHSH Partners Mark Krenn and Stephan Huber, Senior Associates Barbara Klinger, Michael Mayer, and Katerina Schenkova, and Associates Christopher Peitsch and Nadine Leitner.

DZP has successfully represented Slubicki Province in a prominent case over the former customs clearance freight terminal in Swiecko that the Province acquired from the State Treasury.

According to a DZP statement, “the history of the dispute over the terminal in Swiecko dates back to the second half of 2011 and covers a number of inter-related civil and administrative proceedings dealing with complex and sometimes precedential issues relating to the management of public real estate.”

According to the firm, the Supreme Court, by way of two orders of September 25, 2014, followed by December 23, 2014, orders of the Regional Court in Gorzow Wlkp., upheld Slubicki Province’s legal title to the terminal.  The decision is non-appealable. Subsequently, the Supreme Administrative Court, by way of two judgments of February 11, 2015, dismissed Lubuskie Voivodship’s appeal against resolutions adopted by the authorities of Slubicki Province concerning development of the Swiecko terminal real estate. That ruling is also non-appealable.

The DZP lawyers advising Slubicki Province included Partners Lech Zyzylewski and Grzegorz Domanski and Associate Piotr Golaszewski.

Sorainen’s Lithuanian office is advising AlternativaPlatform, a multiplayer online games and services developer, on issues related to launching and doing business in Lithuania.  

AlternativaResearch, a company in the AlternativaPlatform group, has just been registered in Lithuania. 

AlternativaPlatform is widely known for its flagship project – an online game called Tanki Online. According to the company, Tanki Online has a monthly audience of 5 million players from 50 countries. Besides Tanki Online, AlternativaPlatform has announced its goal of developing and releasing 15 online games with support for 25 languages for the integrated platform and to be able to provide entertainment for one billion people each month by early 2020. 

Sorainen provided comprehensive legal assistance with pre-start work, advised on business start-up issues, and is now consulting on intellectual property matters, migration, and taxation issues. The firm’s team is led by Partner Algirdas Peksys, and includes Senior Associate Saule Dagilyte and Associate Vytautas Sabalys. 

The proposal put forward by bankruptcy administrator Norbert Scherbaum and his ScherbaumSeebacher law firm for the bankrupt KROBATH Wasser Warme Wohlbehagen plumber and heating installer has been implemented.

According to a ScherbaumSeebacher press release, Krobath Wasser Warme Wohlbehagen had to withdraw its reorganization plan in mid-December last year after filing for insolvency in September 2014. Subsequently, an orderly sale process was initiated. The firm reports that three former senior employees have founded a successor company to rescue the organization: Krobath Bad Heizung Service. The headquarters will remain in Feldbach, in the southeast Austrian state of Styria.

Scherbaum states: “We have continued to operate the business properly. In parallel with the the sale of assets, we focused on saving as many jobs as possible, satisfying existing customers and processing existing orders.”

The Creditors’ Committee has already approved of the acquisition. For the time being 60 employees, who leave the insolvent company, will be taken over. “The goal of the new owners is to re-employ about 100 staff members by April,” says Scherbaum. This management buy-out with the support of an investor allows the completion of existing half-finished customer orders under unchanged conditions and warranties. The headquarters of Krobath Bad Heizung Service GmbH remain in Feldbach.

Asters has reported that the team it sponsored in Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court Competition has won Ukraine’s National Championship.

The Higher Commercial Court of Ukraine hosted the 20th anniversary Ukrainian National Rounds of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition on February 22-23, 2015. Nine teams from Ukrainian law schools participated in the prestigious contest, and topics considered by the students this year encompassed what Asters describes as “the central and paramount issues of annexation and secession currently faced by Ukraine.”

The team sponsored by Asters — representing the Institute of International Relations of Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University — consisted of Oleksiy Maslov (5th year), Oksana Matiyash (6th year), Alla Kushnirenko (4th year), Iryna Volkova (3rd year), and Yaroslav Lepko (5th year). In addition to winning the team competition, Lepko was also named the National Round Best Oralist. Asters Associate Anna Tkachova is one of the team’s coaches, along with  Oleksandr Ioffe and Sergiy Yaroshenko.

Following its victory in the national round, the team of the Institute of International Relations of Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University will represent Ukraine at the International Rounds in Washington, D.C., on April 5-11, 2015.

Oleksiy Didkovskiy, Asters’ Managing Partner, complimented the team on the victory, stating: “We take pride that the team we are supporting won the National Champion title, and we are confident that the future of the Ukrainian legal system is in the hands of these young yet talented and promising intellectual elite. Naturally, we will further support the team in the international rounds.”