Germany
A team led by Dr. Michael Sörgel advised the start-up Motesque on a cooperation with Ottobock SE. Together, the two companies intend to further develop a digital, cloud-based platform for motion analysis developed by Motesque and market it as a medical device. The platform is suitable for faster and simpler diagnosis of knee malfunctions through an automated procedure for dynamic evaluation of kinematic knee function
Germany
Supported by a team led by Dr. Peter Vocke, Partner at Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek’s Düsseldorf office, Silverlake Real Estate Group acquired the office building at Ben-Gurion-Ring 174 in Frankfurt, a former SEB branch. With the acquisition of the building, Silverlake is implementing its intended market entry in Frankfurt. The currently vacant four-story building in Nieder-Eschbach features a rental space of some 10,000 square meters
Germany
In fiscal 2018, business law firm Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek again recorded significant gains in revenue: 2018 annual revenue amounted to EUR 177 million, an increase of EUR 27.5 million over the previous year. With last year’s revenue standing at EUR 149.5 million, growth of 18.4 percent was recorded in 2018. “On the one hand, this very appreciated increase in revenue is due to the fact that our employment situation is excellent in all core areas of our practice
Germany
A joint project company of ON Real Estate and TPH Real Estate sold a project development at Wattenscheider Straße 13 in Düsseldorf. A team led by Düsseldorf-based partner Dr. Peter Vocke advised the company on the share deal. The buyers are two family offices from Frankfurt and Hamburg. The building with 56 micro-apartments in Düsseldorf will be completed in the course of 2019
Germany
In autumn 2018, the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) commissioned business law firm Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek to prepare a comprehensive study to take stock of the relevant actors in cyber security architecture in Germany. The study is intended to identify the relevant public and private sector actors cyber security architecture and to examine their powers and legal and factual possibilities for influence in more detail
Germany
With a team led by capital market lawyer Dr. Thorsten Kuthe, Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek advised publicly listed Vectron Systems AG on a capital increase. The company intends to use the proceeds from the issue to further expand its digital business areas. Excluding shareholders’ subscription rights, the company’s share capital was increased by issuing up to 661,199 new bearer shares against cash contributions
Germany
A team led by Dr. Peter Christian Schmidt advised RPC Group plc on the acquisition of Neluplast Tiefzieh-Technik GmbH, headquartered in Opfenbach im Allgäu. The transaction has already been cleared by the relevant antitrust authorities. Based in the UK and listed on the London Stock Exchange, RPC Group plc is one of Europe’s largest suppliers of plastic packaging, employing some 25,000 people worldwide. The group generated sales of about £3.7 billion in the 2017/2018 fiscal year
Germany
With a team led by Boris Dürr and Daniela Szczesny, both from the Munich office, Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek advised Primepulse SE on the acquisition of all shares in ETL Elektrotechnik Lauter GmbH (ETL). ETL will reinforce Primepulse group in the EMS sector, which already includes Katek group, Grassau, and Steca Elektronik, Memmingen. With the acquisition of ETL, Primepulse is continuing its expansion strategy in the electronics sector
Germany
A team led by Hamburg-based partner Dr. Stefan Duhnkrack advised Jungheinrich AG on the acquisition of a majority stake in ISI Automation GmbH & Co. KG. With its ISIPlus and ISIPro products for the automation of warehousing systems, ISI Automation is now part of Jungheinrich Group, one of the world’s leading solution providers for intralogistics. This acquisition complements the Jungheinrich portfolio in the key area of digitizing logistics solutions. ISI Automation GmbH & Co
Germany
A team led by Dr. Hermann Ali Hinderer advised Photonics Systems Holding GmbH on the acquisition of LS Laser Systems, a specialist in laser trimming. Photonics aims to expand its status as a leading laser machine manufacturer. The acquisition also serves as a succession solution for the previous owners of LS Laser Systems, who intend to withdraw from the company in the medium term. Photonics Systems group around InnoLas Solutions GmbH is a leader in laser micro material processing
Germany
On December 18, 2018 the German Federal Court of Justice decided on the validity of a patent relating to a product design of egg packages with a particular combination of major planar surfaces, egg-shaped areas and supporting ribs. The Federal Court of Justice ruled that the German part of the European patent EP 1 373 100 B1 is valid if its claim 1 is combined with the granted claims 29 and 30, which relate to a specific pattern of supporting ribs
Germany
With a Frankfurt-based team led by partner Thomas K. Schrell, business law firm Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek advised HF Private Debt on the growth financing of ICP group. In connection with the acquisition of ICP Transaction Solutions GmbH by Operando Partners and other investors, HF Private Debt Fund SCSp provided debt financing for the further expansion of ICP group. The funding volume was not disclosed
Germany
The German Soccer Federation (DFB) achieved another important legal victory with Dr. Johan-Michel Menke, sports employment law expert at Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek in Hamburg. With today’s January 15, 2019 ruling (2 Ca 227/18), the 2nd Chamber of Verden Labor Court, chaired by Judge Trautmann, dismissed the complaint brought by former referee Patrick Schult against the DFB and established that referees are not employees
Germany
Reply AG, the German subsidiary of publicly listed Italian IT service provider Reply SpA, has acquired Hamburg-based digital agency elbkind GmbH. A team led by Dr. Lothar Ende, Partner at Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek’s Hamburg office, advised Reply comprehensively. Reply intends to use the elbkind takeover to further expand its product range and market presence in the digital sector
Germany
The patent law team of Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek, jointly with patent attorneys from Denmark and Germany, again prevailed in a patent nullity case before the German Federal Court of Justice. In its January 8, 2019 ruling, the Federal Court of Justice granted the lawyers’ motions and ruled that the German part of patent EP 1 070 223 B1, held by Danish company EnerDry A/S, is legally valid
Germany
Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek advised largest real estate service provider in the Netherlands, MVGM-Group, on the acquisition of PropertyFirst GmbH from RGM-Group with effect from 1 January 2019. Bochum-based PropertyFirst GmbH operates at 12 locations and offers any commercial and technical property management services. It manages rental space of approx. 3 million m² and administers numerous rental apartments and owner communities. A team led by the Düsseldorf-based partner Dr
Germany
With a Frankfurt-based team led by Partner Thomas K. Schrell, business law firm Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek advised HF Private Debt on funding Finexx’s acquisition of GSE Vertrieb group. The financing volume was not disclosed. Finexx acquired GSE Vertrieb Biologische Nahrungsergänzung & Heilmittel GmbH, headquartered in Saarbrücken, as part of a succession plan
Germany
With a team led by Dr. Pär Johansson from its Cologne office, Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek advised investment firm Odewald KMU II on the acquisition of a majority stake in GIATA GmbH. As a leading provider of non-bookable content, GIATA has been supporting its customers from the tourism industry since 1996, continually setting new standards in hotel content processing and distribution. Its modular product range allows GIATA to offer complete solutions tailored to individual customers
Germany
Business law firm Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek successfully represented several companies of Sprengnetter group (Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler), which is operating in the real estate valuation sector, in a multi-year legal dispute over copyrights, in particular database rights. In the summer of 2016, several companies of Sprengnetter group had received warnings for the alleged infringement of third-party rights, in particular copyrights and rights of the database producer
Germany
A team led by Munich-based partners Dr. Helge-Torsten Wöhlert and Dr. Markus Rabe advised Deutsche Raiffeisen-Warenzentrale GmbH (DRWZ) on the sale of sports and leisurewear manufacturer JOY sportswear GmbH. The buyer is Bremen-headquartered C. Melchers GmbH & Co. KG, which operates more than 50 subsidiaries in 23 countries. JOY sportswear GmbH, based in Ottensoos near Nuremberg, is a manufacturer of sports and leisure clothing for men and women
Germany
Funds advised by PREMIUM Equity Partners sold 100 percent of the shares in ANTEBB Holding GmbH, the sole shareholder of Antennentechnik ABB Bad Blankenburg GmbH, to Huizhou Desay SV Automotive Co., Ltd. Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek advised PREMIUM Equity Partners GmbH on the sale with a team led by Hamburg-based Partner Dr. Stefan Duhnkrack. The two companies intend to use the collaboration to increase the pace of innovation and to expand their business in China and Europe
Germany
Effective January 1, 2019, two female and five male Salaried Partners of Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek will be admitted in the equity partnership. Astrid Reich (Berlin) is a lawyer, Certified Specialist Lawyer in Employment Law, and a member of the Employment Law Practice Group. Jörn Matuszewski (Düsseldorf) is a lawyer, tax advisor, and Graduate in Tax Administration (University of Applied Sciences) and advises in the fields of Tax Law and Private Clients
Germany
Hamburg-based Partner Dr. Søren Pietzcker has been elected member of the Executive Committee of the Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance (GALA). As of 2019, he will hold the office of President EMEA and will be responsible for supporting the members in the EMEA region (Europe - Middle East - Africa). The Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance (GALA) is an alliance of lawyers located in over 100 countries
Germany
A team comprised of members of several offices led by Stuttgart-based Partner Dr. Peter Ladwig comprehensively advised diconium group GmbH and its managing shareholders on the sale of a 49% stake in diconium digital GmbH to Volkswagen AG and accompanied the transaction. The relevant agreements were signed on November 21, 2018. The sale is subject to approval by the antitrust authorities
Germany
Triton Smaller Mid-Cap Fund (TSM), a fund focusing on medium-sized companies advised by Triton, acquired a majority stake in NORRES Group. With a team led by Dr. Pär Johansson, Partner at the firm’s Cologne office, Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek advised Triton on the legal aspects of the acquisition. The partnership aims at promoting NORRES Group’s expansion strategy. Headquartered in Gelsenkirchen, NORRES is a manufacturer of industrial hoses with production sites in Germany, China, and the U.S