Intellectual Property

Frankfurt/Main – Consulting firms SIRIUS Consulting & Training, Acuroc Solutions and IQ Solutions have joined forces and will operate as members of the COHEMI Group going forward. The newly formed group will focus on IT, process and organisational consulting services. The aim is to jointly leverage the growth opportunities in the market and create economies of scale at group level. The planned growth will be supported by an investment from Silver Investment Partners (SIP), an independent equity finance investor specialising in medium-sized companies. The existing management of all three companies will remain both operationally and financially involved.A CMS team headed by lead partner Dr Peter Polke advised SIP on all legal aspects of acquisitions made in connection with structuring and expanding the majority stake in the COHEMI Group. Dr Peter Polke previously advised SIP during his time at King & Wood Mallesons. The private equity specialist moved from KWM to CMS with effect from 1 January 2024 and is now reinforcing the private equity practice at CMS. Based in Königstein im Taunus, SIP is an independent equity finance investor for medium-sized companies in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. As an entrepreneurial, experienced and trusted partner, Silver Investment Partners takes majority and minority stakes in companies with revenues of between EUR 5 and 100 million, with a focus on companies in the EUR 10 to 50 million range. The COHEMI Group comprises SIRIUS Consulting & Training GmbH, Acuroc Solutions GmbH and IQ Solutions GmbH. Their operational businesses currently employ almost 100 consultants across four locations in Germany, with the headquarters in Frankfurt am Main. The consulting group’s main focus at present is on IT governance, IT project management, (IT) service management, change management, asset strategy & performance management, data management and software asset and license management. The group intends to steadily expand its portfolio by pursuing a long-term buy-and-build strategy. CMS Germany Dr Peter Polke, Lead Partner Dr Dirk Baukholt, Principal Counsel Hanno Brandt, Senior Associate Julian Buhr, Legal Coordinator, all Corporate/M&A Carsten Domke, Partner Jonas Hötzel, Associate, both Labor, Employment & Pensions Philipp Lotze, Partner Theresa Lenger, Senior Associate, both IP/IT Stefan Lehr, Partner, RegulatoryPress Con­tact presse@cms-hs. com

Munich – CMS advises the sellers of Cardior Pharmaceuticals in the potential acquisition of the company by Novo Nordisk. Novo Nordisk has agreed to acquire Cardior for up to 1.025 billion Euros, including an upfront payment and additional payments if certain development and commercial milestones are achieved. The agreement includes Cardior’s lead compound CDR132L, currently in phase 2 clinical development for the treatment of heart failure. The closing of the acquisition is subject to receipt of applicable regulatory approvals and other customary conditions. It is expected to happen in the second quarter of 2024.A CMS team headed by Lead Partners Stefan-Ulrich Müller, Dr Tilman Weichert and Jörg Schrade advised the sellers of Cardior Pharmaceuticals on all legal aspects of the transaction. Cardior Pharmaceuticals GmbH, based in Hannover, Germany, is a leading clinical-stage bio­phar­ma­ceut­ic­al company pioneering the discovery and development of RNA-based therapeutics designed to prevent, repair and reverse diseases of the heart. The company’s therapeutic approach uses distinctive non-coding RNAs as an innovative platform for addressing the root causes of cardiac dysfunctions. CMS Germany Stefan-Ulrich Müller, Lead Partner Dr Tilman Weichert, Lead Partner Dr Michael Wangemann, Partner Dr Kai Wallisch, Partner Dr Thomas Mühl, Principal Coun­sel Se­basti­an Hummel, Senior As­so­ci­ate Vikt­or­ia Barthel, Senior As­so­ci­ate Mar­i­elouise Emmer, Senior Associate Dr Carl-Friedrich Thoma, Senior Associate Dr Stefan Kühl, Senior Associate Dr Alexander Weinhold, Senior Associate Maria Kucher, Associate Jonas Ohmann, Associate Dr Josephine Doll, Associate Dr Christian Seeburger, Associate Sonja Schanze, Associate, all Corporate/M&A Dr Marie-Luisa Loheide, Associate, Private Clients Jörg Schrade, Lead Partner Eduard Kosavtsev, Senior Associate, both Tax Stefan Lehr, Partner, Antitrust, Competition & Trade Stefan Lüft, Partner, IP Dr Benedikt Forschner, Partner, Labor, Employment & Pensions Dr Markus Kaulartz, Partner Dr Fiona Savary, Counsel Dr Felix Glocker, Senior Associate, all TMC Dr Tilman Niedermaier, Partner Susanne Schwalb, Partner, both Dispute ResolutionPress Con­tact presse@cms-hs. com

Hamburg – Hanseatic Energy Hub GmbH (HEH) has achieved financial close for the project financing to develop and realise the planned terminal for liquefied gases in Stade. Total investment is some EUR 1.6 billion. Achieving financial close represents a major milestone for Hanseatic Energy Hub GmbH’s land-based terminal.A multi-dis­cip­lin­ary and multi-location CMS team headed by Dr Hilke Herchen and Dr Holger Kraft advised Hanseatic Energy Hub GmbH on developing the project and on preparations to secure the project financing. This included corporate law advice with a particular focus on developing and optimising corporate governance, and on the associated links to the project financing. This advice marks a continuation of the existing close cooperation between HEH and CMS. The CMS team has been providing advice on an ongoing basis since the start of the project, with support for project development around corporate, operation & maintenance and real estate matters in particular. This has included advising on various shareholders joining the project, with a recent example being Enagás S.A. as industrial partner in June 2023. The CMS team conducted a comprehensive due diligence check to put the project financing on a solid footing. The first expansion phase of the project will see an emission-free terminal begin operating in 2027. Its infrastructure is also approved for bio-LNG and synthetic natural gas (SNG). At a later stage, the project will be switched over to hydrogen-based energy carriers such as ammonia. The planned regasification capacity is 13.3 billion cubic metres per year and the send-out capacity is 21.7 gigawatt. From March 2024 until the onshore terminal becomes operational, Hanseatic Energy Hub GmbH will also accommodate one of the five FSRUs (Floating Storage and Regasification Units) chartered by the German federal government. CMS Germany Dr Hilke Herchen, Lead Partner Dr Holger Kraft, Lead Partner Matthias Sethmann, Principal Counsel Dr Luise Pelzer, Counsel Dr Stefan Kühl, Senior Associate Dr Carl-Friedrich Thoma, Senior Associate Dr Josephine Doll, As­so­ci­ate Domin­ic Zimmer, Associate Dr Christian Seeburger, Associate, all Corporate/M&A Dr Fritz von Hammerstein, Partner Katja Meisel, Senior Associate Jan Gröschel, Senior Associate, all Per­mit­ting Mar­tin Krause, Partner Dr Sebastian Orthmann, Partner Dr Hans Fabian Kiderlen, Principal Coun­sel Chris­toph­er Schmeckel, Senior Associate Wiebke Westermann, Associate, all Real Estate Dr Friedrich von Burchard, Partner, Energy & Climate Change Dorothée Janzen, Part­ner  Chris­toph Zarth, Partner Robin Azinovic, Associate, all Commercial Dr Kerstin Block, Partner, Banking & Finance  Dr Martin Mohr, Partner Dr Olaf Thießen, Principal Counsel, both Tax Dr Sebastian Cording, Partner Dr Anna Lena Füllsack, Senior Associate, both TMC Dr Michael Bauer, Partner Luisa Thomasberger, Associate, both Antitrust, Competition & Trade Dr Philipp Nonnenmühlen, Counsel, Labor, Employment & Pensions Dr Martin Gerecke, Partner, IP Birgit Wagner, Legal Manager, Smart OperationsPress Con­tact presse@cms-hs. com

Munich – Listed private equity firm Mutares SE & Co. KGaA has signed an agreement to acquire Magirus from the Iveco Group. Magirus is one of the world’s leading providers of firefighting equipment. This new platform investment will enable Mutares to strengthen its Goods & Services segment. The transaction is expected to complete no later than January 2025.A CMS team headed by partner Dr Michael Wangemann advised Mutares on all legal aspects of the acquisition. Mutares regularly relies on the expertise of the CMS team led by Dr Wangemann, including during the recent acquisition of High Precision Components Witten GmbH. Mutares SE & Co. KGaA is a private equity firm based in Munich. It acquires medium-sized companies in transitional situations and parts of large corporations (carve-outs), with the aim of putting them onto a profitable growth path. Mutares’ revenues currently stand at around EUR 5 billion and are expect to rise to 10 billion by 2028. Ulm-based Magirus generates annual sales of more than EUR 300 million. The company has around 1,300 employees across locations in Germany, Italy, Austria and France. It offers products and related aftersales services in the firefighting and disaster control field. CMS Germany Dr Michael Wangemann, Lead Partner Viktoria Barthel, Senior As­so­ci­ate Mar­i­elouise Emmer, Senior Associate, all Corporate/M&A Anna-Lena Löcherbach, Counsel, M&A/Real Estate Susanne Schwalb, Partner, Dispute Res­ol­u­tion Stefan Lüft, Partner Martin Maurer, Senior Associate, both IP Inhouse Legal at Mutares Jan Thöle, General Counsel Inhouse Tax at Mutares Denis Ahluwalia, Head of Tax Julia Hellwig, Senior Manager TaxPress Con­tact presse@cms-hs. com

Frankfurt/Main – Bruker has agreed to acquire ELITechGroup, a provider of specialty in vitro diagnostic (IVD) systems, from TecFin S.à r.l., a controlled affiliate of PAI Partners, a pre-eminent private equity firm, for EUR 870 million in cash, excluding the carved out ELITech clinical chemistry business. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2024, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.A team of CMS Germany headed by lead partner Dr Hendrik Hirsch acted as lead transaction counsel on this landmark transaction for Bruker's MDx business covering all M&A aspects of the transaction, IVDR and other regulatory aspects, antitrust and FDI filings, the carve out of the clinical chemistry business and support on the employee consultation processes in France and the Netherlands. ELITechGroup, with over 500 employees and over 40 active patents, develops and commercializes innovative, proprietary molecular diagnostic (MDx) systems and assays, as well as niche biomedical systems and microbiology products. Its molecular diagnostic business accounts for the majority of the to-be-acquired revenues and provides the unique sample-to-answer (S2A) instruments InGenius® and Be-Genius® in the mid-to-high throughput MDx category with PCR diagnostic assays for infections and diseases. ELITechGroup, excluding the clinical chemistry business, achieved approximately EUR 150 million in revenues in 2023. ELITechGroup generates the majority of its revenues from Europe, with significant business also in North and Latin America. Its major R&D and production sites are in Italy, the United States, France and Germany. CMS Germany Dr Hendrik Hirsch, Partner, Co-Lead Dr Jacob Siebert, Partner, Co-Lead Dr Dirk Baukholt, Principal Counsel Dr Berrit Roth-Mingram, Counsel Dr Maximilian Stark, Senior Associate, all Corporate/M&A Dr Roland Wiring, Partner Lukas Burgdorff, Associate Noah Rodenkirchen, Associate, all Regulatory & Lifesciences Dr Thomas Hirse, Part­ner Se­basti­an Vautz, Senior Associate Lisa Dietrich, Associate, all IP Dr Michael Bauer, Partner Stefan Lehr, Partner Kai Neuhaus, Partner Moritz Pottek, Counsel Dr. Denis Schlimpert, Counsel Kirsten Baubkus-Gerard, Senior Associate David Rappenglück, As­so­ci­ate Be­ne­dikt Christian Voss, Associate, all Antitrust, Competition & Trade Dr Thomas de la Motte, Partner Dr Markus Pfaff, Partner Dr André Frischemeier, Partner Hatice Aykel, Counsel Alisa Brehm, Senior Associate Thomas Schaak, Senior Associate Dr Sait Dogan, Associate, all Banking & Finance  Dr André Lippert, Part­ner Con­stan­ze Schweidtmann, Associate, both Real Estate & Public Dr Boris Alles, Partner Dr Theresa Kipp, Senior Associate, both Labor, Employment & Pensions CMS France Benoît Gomel, Partner Vincent Desbenoit, Associate Dylan Allali, all Corporate/M&A Caroline Froger-Michon, Partner Aurélie Parchet, As­so­ci­ate Ca­m­ille Baumgarten, Associate Sophie Yin, all Em­ploy­ment Claire Vannini, Partner Eleni Moraïtou, Coun­sel Lilia-Ori­ana Dif, Associate Ariane Rolin, all Competition & EU  Jean-Bap­tiste Thiénot, Partner Anaïs Arnal, Associate, both Intellectual Property Laurine Mayer, Associate, TMC Alexandre Chazot, Counsel, Banking & Fin­ance  Thi­erry Granier, Partner Renaud Grob, Partner, both Tax Arnaud Valverde, Senior Associate, Real Estate Olivier Kuhn, Partner Cécile Rebiffé, Counsel Mylène Garrouste, all Dispute Res­ol­u­tion Kawthar Ben Khelil, Coun­sel Jean-Pierre Malili, Associate, both Public law/In­fra­struc­ture CMS Italy Massimo Trentino, Partner, Corporate/M&A Maria Letizia Patania, Partner, Lifescience & Healthcare Gian Marco Lettieri, Senior Associate, Employment & Pensions Giulio Poggioli, Counsel Valerio Giuseppe Daniele, As­so­ci­ate Francesca Durante, Junior As­so­ci­ate  Arianna Toccaceli, Junior Associate, all Banking & Finance CMS Luxembourg Gérard Maitrejean, Partner Miruna Poenaru, Coun­sel Max­imili­an Helfgen, Associate, all Corporate/M&A CMS UK Jack Letson, Partner Lindsay McAllister, Associate, both Corporate/M&A David Dennis, Partner, Commercial CMS Netherlands Pieter van Duijvenvoorde, Partner Robert Jong, both Corporate/M&A Nigel Henssen Fleur van Assendelft de Coningh, both Employment Edmon Oude Elferink, Partner Marijke van der Vossen, both Antitrust, Competition & Trade CMS Serbia Radivoje Petrikić, Partner Mila Drljević, both Corporate/M&A CMS Austria Dieter Zandler, Partner Vanessa Horaceck, both Competition & EU CMS Ukraine Maria Orlyk, Partner Diana Valyeyeva CMS Turkiye Döne Yalçın, Partner Arcan Kemahlı,  Sa­ba­hat­tin Öztemiz Taner ElmasPress Con­tact presse@cms-hs. com

Cologne – Webasto, a leading global automotive supplier headquartered in Stockdorf near Munich, has sold a majority stake in its charging solutions business. The business includes charging cables, mobile chargers and wallboxes. The German company is one of the 100 largest suppliers to the automotive sector worldwide and will remain invested in the division as a minority shareholder. It intends to focus on its core business segments going forward. In 2022, Webasto took the strategic decision to seek an investor for the charging solutions business. The buyer is private equity firm Transom Capital Group, based in Los Angeles, USA. The two companies signed a purchase agreement on 7 February 2024. Further details of the transaction were not disclosed.A CMS team headed by lead partner Klaus Jäger advised Webasto on all legal aspects of the sale. The German CMS team worked closely with CMS teams from Mexico City and Beijing, as well as US law firms Miller & Martin PLLC and Locke Lord LLP. The sales process was highly complex, partly due to the fact that prior to the sale the unit in question needed to be restructured by taking appropriate action across a number of different jurisdictions. Webasto has relied on the expertise of CMS in the past, most recently when acquiring all the shares in Luxembourg company Carlex Glass. Established in 1901, automotive supplier Webasto focuses on roof systems and on vehicle electrification in its development, manufacturing and sales operations. The product range includes openable and fixed roofs, electric high-voltage heaters and batteries and thermo management solutions. Webasto’s customers range from manufacturers of passenger cars, commercial vehicles and boats to dealers and end customers. In 2022, the group generated sales of over EUR 4 billion and employed some 16,800 people across more than 50 locations worldwide. CMS Germany Klaus Jäger, Lead Part­ner Anna-Lena Löcherbach, Counsel Philipp Knopp, Senior As­so­ci­ate Domin­ic Zimmer, Associate Nina Fink, Associate, all Corporate/M&A Dr Angela Emmert, Partner Lennard Martin Lürwer, Counsel Marcel Heinen, Senior Associate, all Labor, Employment & Pensions Dr Sebastian Cording, Partner Lars Howe, Associate Dr Markus Kaulartz, Partner Dr Reemt Matthiesen, Partner, all TMC Dr Alexandra Schluck-Amend, Partner Manuel Nann, Senior As­so­ci­ate  Fran­ziska Fuchs, Senior Associate, all Restructuring and Insolvency Lars Eckhoff, Partner Dr Philipp Rohdenburg, Counsel, both Commercial Dr Dirk Smielick, Principal Counsel, Intellectual Property Dr Christian Scherer, Partner, Real Estate & Public Barbara Bayer, Counsel, Banking, Finance & Insurance Moritz Pottek, Counsel, Antitrust, Competition & Trade Dr Arne Burmester, Principal Counsel Conrad Gräwe, Legal Coordinator Romy Rosenhahn, Legal Co­ordin­at­or Stephanie Schulz, Legal Co­ordin­at­or Steven Washington, Legal Co­ordin­at­or Tag­rid Chahrour, Senior Legal Specialist Anke Clippingdale, Senior Legal Specialist Lisa Mattmann, Senior Legal Specialist Sarah Przybylski, Senior Legal Specialist Edris Trabzadah, Senior Legal Specialist Faraz Ahmad, Legal Specialist Jule Marie Holz, Legal Specialist Sofia Schreiner, Legal Spe­cial­ist Al­ex­an­der Stadahl, Legal Specialist, all Smart Operations CMS China Dr Falk Lichtenstein, Partner, Corporate/M&A CMS Mexico Giancarlo Schievenini, Partner, Corporate/M&A MILLER & MARTIN PLLC, Attorneys at Law, Atlanta, USA Mike Marshall, Partner Joe De Lisle, Partner Locke Lord LLP, Boston, USA Jonathan Young, PartnerPress Con­tact presse@cms-hs. com   

Cologne – KANSAI HELIOS has acquired the entire industrial coatings business of GREBE Holding, based in Weilburg in Hessen, Germany, which operates under the name WEILBURGER Coatings. WEILBURGER Coatings is a well-known manufacturer of industrial coatings and comprises of WEILBURGER Coatings GmbH in Weilburg and WEILBURGER Asia Limited in Hong Kong. The share purchase agreement was signed on February 9, 2024. With the acquisition, KANSAI HELIOS intends to significantly expand its strategic position as a system supplier and manufacturer of industrial coatings and extend its geographical presence internationally. The company will also gain additional expertise, distribution channels, production and storage capacities. The parties involved have agreed not to disclose further details of the transaction. An international CMS team headed by Lead Partner Klaus Jäger and Christoph Schröer provided KANSAI HELIOS with comprehensive legal advice on the acquisition. The complexity of the transaction is characterized in particular by the size of the acquired Weilburger Coatings Group, which, in addition to the German companies, includes subsidiaries in Brazil, China, France, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Turkey and the USA. In addition to the actual purchase agreements in Germany and Hong Kong, CMS drafted and negotiated numerous other contracts. In addition to CMS teams in Brazil, China, Hong Kong, Italy, Turkey, France, Serbia, Austria and the United Kingdom, the law firms MILLER & MARTIN PLLC from the USA and Vaish Associates Advocates from India also provided support. KANSAI HELIOS regularly relies on the expertise of CMS, most recently in connection with the acquisition of all shares in CWS Lackfabrik GmbH (CWS), which specializes in powder coatings and synthetic resins, including the group companies in Germany, the USA, Denmark and Poland. KANSAI HELIOS, headquartered in Vienna, is part of the Japanese KANSAI PAINT Group. The company has a history of more than 170 years and is one of the major global players in the paints and coatings market. KANSAI HELIOS designs, produces and distributes industrial coating solutions, bleaching and cleaning chemicals, materials for sticking and sealing, high-quality resins, architectural paints and refinishing coatings throughout Europe and beyond. WEILBURGER Coatings was founded in 1900 at its current headquarters in Weilburg and has group companies in Germany, Italy, France, Turkey, the USA, Brazil, India and China. With around 600 employees at seven production sites and several sales offices, the company is active worldwide and generates a turnover of around 150 million euros. CMS Germany Klaus Jäger, Lead Partner Dr Kai Wallisch, Part­ner Chris­toph Schröer, Senior Associate Dr Katharina Kapp, Associate Dr Henrik Meurer, As­so­ci­ate Domin­ic Zimmer, As­so­ci­ate Kath­rin Dengel, Associate, all Corporate/M&A Dr Björn Herbers, Partner Moritz Pottek, Counsel Dr Denis Schlimpert, Counsel Kirsten Baubkus-Gerard, Senior Associate Dr Robert Bodewig, Senior Associate David Rappenglück, Associate, all Antitrust, Competition & Trade Dr Dirk Smielick, Principal Counsel Claudia Böhmer, Counsel, both IP Dr Angela Emmert, Partner Dr Andreas Hofelich, Partner Dr Mario Brungs, Counsel Lennard Martin Lürwer, Counsel Marcel Heinen, Senior Associate, all Labor, Employment & Pensions Michael Kamps, Partner Thorsten Hemme, Principal Counsel Dr Arne Schmieke, Senior Associate, all TMC Dr Martin Friedberg, Partner, Tax law Dr André Lippert, Partner Maike Füchtmann, Senior Associate, both Real Estate & Public Dorothée Janzen, Partner Dr Philipp Rohdenburg, Counsel, both Com­mer­cial Birgit Wagner, Legal Manager Conrad Gräwe, Legal Co­ordin­at­or Steven Washington, Legal Coordinator Anke Clippingdale, Senior Legal Specialist Edris Trabzadah, Senior Legal Specialist Faraz Ahmad, Legal Specialist Sofia Schreiner, Legal Spe­cial­ist Al­ex­an­der Stadahl, Legal Specialist, all Smart Operations CMS Beijing Falk Licht­en­stein Roxy Meng CMS Milan Daniela Murer Alessandra Cuni CMS Rome Fabrizio Spagnolo CMS Istanbul Döne Yalçın Merve Akkuş CMS Paris Thomas Hains Marion Berberian CMS Belgrade Maja Stepanović CMS Vienna Dr Dieter Zandler CMS London Russell Hoare Melanie Lane Focaccia Amaral L S Advogados, Brazil in association with CMS Renata Homem de Melo Fontes Carla Anastácio Lau, Horton & Wise LLP, Hong Kong in association with CMS Shirley Lau Albert Jok MILLER & MARTIN PLLC, USA Joe DeLisle Vaish Associates Advocates, India Shrinivas SankaranPress Con­tact presse@cms-hs. com

Stuttgart – The families that own Pforzheim-based Carl Benzinger GmbH have sold a majority interest to Syngroh Capital GmbH, the investment firm set up by the entrepreneurial Klaus Grohe family. The current owners, the Jehle families, will retain a significant minority stake in Carl Benzinger GmbH and continue to manage the company operationally. The majority stake taken by Syngroh Capital will provide Benzinger with a long-term entrepreneurial partner who will contribute to the engineering company’s growth. Details of the transaction were not disclosed.A CMS team headed by lead partner Dr Claus-Peter Fabian advised the family owners of Carl Benzinger GmbH on all legal aspects of the transaction. Carl Benziger GmbH is a leading manufacturer of high-precision lathes and milling machines for a variety of industries, including the watchmaking and jewellery industries as well as sectors such as optics, precision mechanics, medical, dental, electrical and control technology, fluid and bearing technology, the automotive supply industry and aerospace. Benzinger offers everything from a single source – from engineering and building or setting up the machine tools through to after-sales service. The company’s customers include both local firms and world-famous luxury brands. CMS Germany Dr Claus-Peter Fabian, Lead Part­ner Kath­ar­ina Ivic, Senior Associate Julia Fünfgeld, Senior Associate Dr Maximilian Eitelbuß, Senior Associate, all Corporate/M&A Dr Martin Mohr, Partner Tobias Wacker, Associate, both Tax Dr Michael Rein, Principal Counsel, Labor, Employment & Pensions Dr Michael Kraus, Partner, TMC Dr Stefan Voß, Partner Lukas Potstada, Counsel, both Real Estate & Public Thomas Fröhlich, Counsel, IP Lisa Mattmann, Senior Legal Specialist, Smart OperationsPress Con­tact presse@cms-hs. com