Berlin – US entertainment group Advance Publications, Inc. (Advance) has acquired 100% of the shares in musical group Stage Entertainment from private equity investor CVC Capital Partners (CVC) and Stage founder Joop van den Ende. The parties expect to close the deal in the fourth quarter of 2018 and are currently awaiting the usual approvals from the authorities. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
An international CMS team headed by lead partners Louise Wallace and John Enser (CMS UK), Reinout Slot (CMS Netherlands) and coordinating for Germany Dr Gerd Leutner advised Advance on all legal aspects of this cross-border transaction. In Germany, the main market, this included in particular tax-related structuring of the agreements, dealing with leased and owned property, all the employment law and pension law aspects of the transaction, as well as handling musical productions and musical concepts.
Established in 1922, Advance Publications is a family-owned company that invests worldwide in a broad range of media, communications and technology firms. Its European stakes include Condé Nast brands such as Vogue, Vanity Fair, GQ and Wired, the Leaders sports conference platform and TV brands Eurosport and Discovery via its shareholding in Discovery.
Amsterdam-based Stage Entertainment was established in 1998 and employs around 3,000 people worldwide. In Germany alone, the group operates 13 out of an international total of 20 musical theatres, including Hamburg (The Lion King, Mary Poppins), Berlin (Theater des Westens), Stuttgart, Essen, Oberhausen and Munich. Stage also develops and produces musicals around the world. Company founder Joop van den Ende will remain involved after the sale as a special adviser.
CMS Germany
Dr Gerd Leutner, Partner
Toby Lovett, Associate, both Corporate
Dr Andreas Otto, Partner
Dr Matthias Kuß, Partner
Friederike Rickers, Senior Associate
Franziska Krokutsch, Senior Associate
Filip Niemiec, Senior Associate
Florian Seelheim, Senior Associate, all Real Estate & Public
Dr Sören Langner, Partner
Prof. Marion Bernhardt, Partner
Dr Andreas Hofelich, Partner
Dr Gerlind Wisskirchen, Partner
Dr Martina Jentsch, Counsel
Stephanie Witt, Senior Associate
Verena Oechslen, Associate
Laura Jung, Associate, all Labor, Employment & Pensions
Dr Ole Jani, Partner
Alexis von Kruedener, Senior Associate
Michael Strubel, Senior Associate
Benedicta von Rauch, Associate, all Media & Intellectual Property
Dr Christian Friedrich Haellmigk, Partner
Cosima Gräfin von Rechteren, Counsel
Malena Hansen, Associate, all EU & Competition
Axel Dippmann, Partner
Anne Neumann, Paralegal, both Banking & Finance
Jesko Nobiling, Partner
Marcus Fischer, Counsel, both Tax
Stephanie Schulz, Legal Consultant, Smart Operations
CMS UK
Louise Wallace, Lead Partner
John Enser, Lead Partner
Stephen Hignett, Partner
Jacob Gilkes
Rebekah Hayes
Catherine Merry
Kabir Garyali
Michelle Kirkland
Jacqueline Vallat
Alexander Cartwright
Pauline Howcroft
Alexandre Naud
Yvonne Onomor
David Whitehead
CMS Netherlands
Reinout Slot, Lead Partner
Martijn van der Bie, Partner
Edmon Oude Elferink, Partner
Katja van Kranenburg, Partner
Eduard Scheenstra, Partner
Arnout Scholten, Partner
Dolf Segaar, Partner
Femke Stroucken, Partner
Paulus van den Bos
Tom Bruggink
Simon Sanders
Rogier de Vrey
Yasar Celebi
Dex Destombes
Jenny Noordermeer
Claudia van der Schoot
CMS France
Florence Cherel, Partner
Alexandre Delhaye, Partner
Caroline Froger-Michon, Partner
Florentin Sanson
Geoffroy Loncle de Forville
Diane De Tarr-Michel
CMS Spain
Mariano Bautista, Partner
Blanca Cortés Fernández
Bartolomé Martín Fernández
Carmen Bardi
Alicia Martínez
Jorge Peño Iglesias
CMS Italy
Marco Casasole, Partner
Paola Nunziata, Partner
Francesca Sutti, Partner
Francesco Capasso
Matteo Pace
CMS Russia
Vladimir Zenin, Partner
Dmitry Bogdanov
Mikhail Panferov
Elizaveta Rakova
Press Contact
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