The SEE Legal Member Firms Worked on 7 of the Deals Shortlisted for the 2019 CEE Legal Matters Deal of the Year Awards
The SEE Legal Member Firms Worked on 7 of the Deals Shortlisted for the 2019 CEE Legal Matters Deal of the Year Awards
CEE Legal Matters announced the finalists for the CEE 2019 Deal of the Year. The following SEE Legal members have participated in one or more of the seven of the shortlisted deals: KALO & ASSOCIATES, BOYANOV & Co., Divjak, Topic & Bahtijarevic, Polenak Law Firm, and BDK Advokati.
More information on the deals is available below.
1) KALO & ASSOCIATES Shortlisted for Deal of the Year in Moldova, Montenegro and Slovenia:
OTP Bank’s Acquisition of Majority Stake in Banka Comerciala Mobiasbanca from Groupe Société Générale, involving: CMS; Jones Day; KALO & ASSOCIATES; Schoenherr; Sytnyk & Partners; Turcan Cazac
KALO & ASSOCIATES advised Société Générale on the sale of its Albanian subsidiary to OTP BANK. The firm assisted the Client for structuring the transaction, assisted during the Purchaser’s due diligence, advised on the SPA, etc. The transaction involved also the exhaustion of the Minority Shareholders’ pre-emption right process (one of the rare if not the only case in Albania) and the subsequent purchase of the Minority Shareholders’ shares from Société Générale before selling the totality of the shares to OTP BANK.
2) BOYANOV & Co. Shortlisted for Deal of the Year in Bulgaria:
Eurobank Bulgaria AD/Postbank’s Acquisition of Piraeus Bank Bulgaria, involving: BOYANOV & Co.; Karatzas & Partners; Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy; White & Case
BOYANOV & Co. advised on the sale of Piraeus Bank Bulgaria (one of the top 10 Bulgarian banks) to Eurobank Bulgaria, including the pre-closing spin-off of part of the target’s business that remained with Piraeus Group as well as on the merger of Piraeus Bank Bulgaria into Eurobank Bulgaria following the successful closing of the acquisition.
3) Divjak, Topic & Bahtijarevic Shortlisted for Deal of the Year in Croatia:
United Group’s Acquisition of Tele2, involving: Divjak, Topic, & Bahtijarevic; Kirkland & Ellis; Schoenherr
Divjak, Topic & Bahtijarevic advised United Group, a leading connectivity and media provider in SEE, operating in six countries and employing approximately 4,400 employees, in the acquisition of the Croatian business of Tele2 AB – the largest M&A deal in Croatia in 2019. Advice provided: due diligence, all transactional and regulatory aspects, escrow matters, transitional services to ensure smooth ownership transition, merger approval.
4) Polenak Law Firm Shortlisted for Deal of the Year in North Macedonia:
Financing for Joyson Safety Systems’ Acquisition of Takata Assets, involving: Herbert Smith Freehills; Polenak Law Firm; Karanovic & Partners; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
Polenak Law Firm reviewed the guarantee limitation language and jurisdiction-specific provisions in the credit agreement (LMA Syndication Facilities Agreement), the proposed security package and represented Joyson Safety Systems SA (formerly known as Key Safety Systems) in negotiation of security documents, as well as assisted the Client with the preparation and execution of corporate authorisations.
Though LMA Syndication Facilities Agreements are becoming a standard market practice in case of cross border financing when Macedonian companies are involved, the matters of granting security for the security agent still raises issues. The general unfamiliarity of the Macedonian market with the security agent concept adds to the deal complexity.
5) BDK Advokati Shortlisted for Deal of the Year in Serbia:
Development of Belgrade Industrial park, involving: BDK Advokati; Hunton Andrews Kurth; Prica & Partners
BDK Advokati advises China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) on the joint development agreement with the Republic of Serbia for the development of the industrial park in Belgrade.
6) BDK Advokati Shortlisted for Deal of the Year in Serbia:
Public-Private Partnership for Vinca Waste Treatment Facility, involving: Baker McKenzie; BDK Advokati; Clifford Chance; Hogan Lovells; Karanovic & Partners; Wolf Theiss
BDK Advokati advised the lenders, i.e. EBRD, IFC and OeEB, in relation to the EUR 300+ million project financing for the waste management public-private partnership project in Belgrade, one of the largest and certainly the most complex project financing schemes in Serbia up to date.
7) BDK Advokati Shortlisted for Deal of the Year in Serbia:
Coca Cola HBC’s Acquisition of Bambi from Mid Europa Partners, involving: BDK Advokati; Dechert; Karanovic & Partners; Latham & Watkins; Norton Rose Fulbright; White & Case; Zavisin, Semiz & Partneri
BDK Advokati advised Coca Cola HBC on the acquisition of the Serbian confectionary firm Bambi from Mid Europa Partners for an enterprise value of EUR 260 million.
CEE Legal Matters announced the finalists for the CEE 2019 Deal of the Year. The following SEE Legal members have participated in one or more of the seven of the shortlisted deals: KALO & ASSOCIATES, BOYANOV & Co., Divjak, Topic & Bahtijarevic, Polenak Law Firm, and BDK Advokati.
More information on the deals is available below.
1) KALO & ASSOCIATES Shortlisted for Deal of the Year in Moldova, Montenegro and Slovenia:
OTP Bank’s Acquisition of Majority Stake in Banka Comerciala Mobiasbanca from Groupe Société Générale, involving: CMS; Jones Day; KALO & ASSOCIATES; Schoenherr; Sytnyk & Partners; Turcan Cazac
KALO & ASSOCIATES advised Société Générale on the sale of its Albanian subsidiary to OTP BANK. The firm assisted the Client for structuring the transaction, assisted during the Purchaser’s due diligence, advised on the SPA, etc. The transaction involved also the exhaustion of the Minority Shareholders’ pre-emption right process (one of the rare if not the only case in Albania) and the subsequent purchase of the Minority Shareholders’ shares from Société Générale before selling the totality of the shares to OTP BANK.
2) BOYANOV & Co. Shortlisted for Deal of the Year in Bulgaria:
Eurobank Bulgaria AD/Postbank’s Acquisition of Piraeus Bank Bulgaria, involving: BOYANOV & Co.; Karatzas & Partners; Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy; White & Case
BOYANOV & Co. advised on the sale of Piraeus Bank Bulgaria (one of the top 10 Bulgarian banks) to Eurobank Bulgaria, including the pre-closing spin-off of part of the target’s business that remained with Piraeus Group as well as on the merger of Piraeus Bank Bulgaria into Eurobank Bulgaria following the successful closing of the acquisition.
3) Divjak, Topic & Bahtijarevic Shortlisted for Deal of the Year in Croatia:
United Group’s Acquisition of Tele2, involving: Divjak, Topic, & Bahtijarevic; Kirkland & Ellis; Schoenherr
Divjak, Topic & Bahtijarevic advised United Group, a leading connectivity and media provider in SEE, operating in six countries and employing approximately 4,400 employees, in the acquisition of the Croatian business of Tele2 AB – the largest M&A deal in Croatia in 2019. Advice provided: due diligence, all transactional and regulatory aspects, escrow matters, transitional services to ensure smooth ownership transition, merger approval.
4) Polenak Law Firm Shortlisted for Deal of the Year in North Macedonia:
Financing for Joyson Safety Systems’ Acquisition of Takata Assets, involving: Herbert Smith Freehills; Polenak Law Firm; Karanovic & Partners; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
Polenak Law Firm reviewed the guarantee limitation language and jurisdiction-specific provisions in the credit agreement (LMA Syndication Facilities Agreement), the proposed security package and represented Joyson Safety Systems SA (formerly known as Key Safety Systems) in negotiation of security documents, as well as assisted the Client with the preparation and execution of corporate authorisations.
Though LMA Syndication Facilities Agreements are becoming a standard market practice in case of cross border financing when Macedonian companies are involved, the matters of granting security for the security agent still raises issues. The general unfamiliarity of the Macedonian market with the security agent concept adds to the deal complexity.
5) BDK Advokati Shortlisted for Deal of the Year in Serbia:
Development of Belgrade Industrial park, involving: BDK Advokati; Hunton Andrews Kurth; Prica & Partners
BDK Advokati advises China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) on the joint development agreement with the Republic of Serbia for the development of the industrial park in Belgrade.
6) BDK Advokati Shortlisted for Deal of the Year in Serbia:
Public-Private Partnership for Vinca Waste Treatment Facility, involving: Baker McKenzie; BDK Advokati; Clifford Chance; Hogan Lovells; Karanovic & Partners; Wolf Theiss
BDK Advokati advised the lenders, i.e. EBRD, IFC and OeEB, in relation to the EUR 300+ million project financing for the waste management public-private partnership project in Belgrade, one of the largest and certainly the most complex project financing schemes in Serbia up to date.
7) BDK Advokati Shortlisted for Deal of the Year in Serbia:
Coca Cola HBC’s Acquisition of Bambi from Mid Europa Partners, involving: BDK Advokati; Dechert; Karanovic & Partners; Latham & Watkins; Norton Rose Fulbright; White & Case; Zavisin, Semiz & Partneri
BDK Advokati advised Coca Cola HBC on the acquisition of the Serbian confectionary firm Bambi from Mid Europa Partners for an enterprise value of EUR 260 million.
