Ham­burg/Stut­tgart – Main Street Capital Corporation, a publicly traded financial investor based in Houston, Texas, has acquired Maass Global Group through one of its portfolio companies, Gulf Manufacturing, LLC. The Essen-based company is a global leader in the manufacture and sale of flanges and forged specialty products, forged steel bars, seamless tubes and fittings made of duplex, stainless steel and high-nickel alloys. In addition to its headquarters in Essen, the Maas Global Group has further locations in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, India, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates.A CMS team led by Dr. Eckart Gottschalk and Dr. Kai Wallisch provided comprehensive legal advice to Main Street Capital Corporation on this transaction. In addition to corporate law advice, the focus was on the legal implementation of the financing. As part of the transaction, CMS Germany worked closely with CMS law firms from the Netherlands, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates as well as the American law firm Locke Lord and AZB & Partners from India. Main Street Capital Corporation is a publicly traded investment company with a market capitalization of approximately USD 3.9 billion. It specializes in long-term financing of middle-market companies in various industries through management buyouts, re­cap­it­al­iz­a­tions, growth financing and acquisitions. With the investment to acquire Maas Global Group, Main Street Capital Corporation is deepening its existing investment in the manufacturing of flanges, fittings and other specialty products for industrial applications. CMS Germany Dr. Eckart Gottschalk, Lead Partner Dr. Kai Wallisch, Lead Partner Dr. Paul Kintrup, Senior As­so­ci­ate Mil­itsa Decheva Petrova, Senior Associate Dr. Alexander Weinhold, Senior As­so­ci­ate Tjorben Drawe, Associate Sonja Schanze, As­so­ci­ate Kath­rin Dengel, Associate, all Corporate/M&A Dr. Marc Seibold, Partner Anne Waßmuth, Counsel Carla Kaeber, Associate, all Banking & Finance Dr. Hans Fabian Kiderlen, Principal Counsel Theresa Friedle, Associate, both Real Estate & Public Dr. Michael Kraus, Partner Thomas Fröhlich, Counsel, both TMC Dr. Jacob Hinze, Counsel, Employment Law Dr. Martin Mohr, Partner, Tax Christoff Henrik Soltau, Partner Dr. Robert Bodewig, Senior Associate, both Antitrust, Competition & Trade Kai Neuhaus, Partner Moritz Pottek, Counsel, both Brussel EU Law Office CMS Netherlands Roman Tarlavski, Partner Maarten Feenstra, Associate Fleur Assendelft de Coningh, Associate Anne Fleur Krijthe, Candidate civil law notary CMS Singapore Toby Grainger, Partner Leslie Tay, Associate CMS UAE Patrik Daintry, Partner Fawzi Oueidat, Associate Locke Lord Greg Heath, Partner Nicholas Jennings, Partner Jason Ulezalka, Partner Case Towslee, Associate Jake Chagoury, Associate Mason Marek, Associate AZB & Partners Srinath Dasari, Senior Partner Gautam Rego, Partner Yash Anand, Associate Gopika Menon, AssociatePress Con­tact presse@cms-hs. com

Hamburg – SEFE Securing Energy for Europe GmbH (SEFE) has acquired all the shares in WIGA Transport Beteili­gungs-GmbH & Co. KG (WIGA) from its co-shareholder Wintershall Dea AG. The transaction is currently awaiting approval from the competition authorities. SEFE is wholly owned by the Federal Republic of Germany. WIGA owns regulated gas pipeline operators GASCADE Gastransport GmbH and NEL Gastransport GmbH, who operate one of the largest high-pressure gas networks in Germany with a combined length of around 4,150 kilometres. These networks have a key role to play in European energy security and the green energy transformation. The transaction will strengthen SEFE in its role of ensuring secure and reliable energy supply in Germany and Europe, as well as boosting its hydrogen ex­pert­ise.“With the full acquisition of WIGA as sole shareholder, we are strategically strengthening SEFE as an independent and autonomous midstream company,” commented Reinhard Gorenflos, Chairman of the SEFE Supervisory Board.“SEFE being the sole shareholder of WIGA will ensure that GASCADE can convert the existing high-performance infrastructure to hydrogen in the future. In this way, we can help drive forward the green energy transformation. Transportation infrastructure is a pivotal part of the future hydrogen value chain,” said Dr Egbert Laege, CEO of SEFE. “The two WIGA subsidiaries, GASCADE and NEL, will continue to operate independently and market their capacity in a transparent and non-dis­crim­in­at­ory manner.”SEFE CFO Dr Christian Ohlms highlighted the importance of WIGA with regard to the privatisation of SEFE, which is due to take place by the end of 2028: “With this transaction, which is expected to complete by summer 2024, we are strengthening SEFE’s asset base. Our aim is to continue the long-term development of SEFE on a stable financial footing.”A multinational CMS team headed by Hamburg-based partner Dr Holger Kraft advised SEFE on all aspects of acquiring WIGA. In addition to extensive due diligence on the entire WIGA Group, including GASCADE and NEL, which are regulated under energy law, this work covered negotiation of the share purchase agreement and separate agreements with the shareholders of Wintershall Dea AG. Alongside negotiating the transaction agreements, the advice focused on safeguarding the transaction through several W&I insurance agreements, including negotiating the policies, and handling regulatory issues relating to gas network operation and other public-law matters. CMS Germany worked closely with the CMS law firms in the UK and Luxembourg, and with US law firm Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP. CMS previously advised the Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action in 2022 and 2023 around their trusteeship over SEFE and its subsequent nationalisation by way of corporate actions. The instructions for this transaction followed on from that successful cooperation. About SEFE:As an integrated midstream energy company headquartered in Berlin, SEFE Securing Energy for Europe ensures the security of energy supply in Germany and Europe and is driving the green energy transformation. SEFE is active in trading & portfolio management, sales, transportation and storage of energy and has its strongest presence in Germany and the UK. SEFE employs around 1,500 people and supplies over 50,000 customers, in particular industrial customers and municipal utilities in Germany and seven other European markets. With a sales volume of around 200 TWh of power and gas, SEFE plays a central role in stability of the energy supply in Germany and Europe. SEFE is owned by the Federal Government of Germany. CMS Germany Dr Holger Kraft, Lead Partner Dr Jan Schepke, Partner Matthias Sethmann, Principal Counsel Dr Dirk Baukholt, Principal Coun­sel Char­lotte von der Heydt-von Kalckreuth, Counsel Dr Stefan Kühl, Senior Associate Dr Paul Kintrup, Senior Associate, all Corporate/M&A Dr Rolf Hempel, Partner Dr Friedrich von Burchard, Partner Nicole Köppen, Senior Associate, all Regulatory Dr Hermann Müller, Partner Dr Arno Görlitz, Associate, both Public Commercial Law Dr Martin Mohr, Partner Dr Olaf Thießen, Principal Counsel, both Tax Dr Alexandra Schluck-Amend, Partner Manuel Nann, Senior As­so­ci­ate Pit-Jo­hannes Wagner, Associate, all Restructuring Dr Andreas Hofelich, Partner Dr Mario Brungs, Counsel Dr Lena Pingen, Associate, all Em­ploy­ment/Pen­sions Dr Fritz von Hammerstein, Partner Jan Gröschel, Senior Associate Heike Weyer, Senior Associate, all Public Law Dr Stefan Voß, Partner Tamara Bux, Associate, both Real Estate Dr Sebastian Cording, Partner Martin Krause, Partner Dr Shaya Stender, Associate Joel Coché, Associate, all Commercial Dr Julia Runge, Principal Counsel, Finance Dr Michael Bauer, Part­ner Chris­toff Henrik Soltau, Partner Dr Robert Bodewig, Senior Associate Luisa Thomasberger, Associate, all Antitrust, Competition & Trade CMS UK Russel Hoare, Partner Sam De Silva, Part­ner Jean-Fran­cois Willems, Of Counsel Jennifer Louch, Senior As­so­ci­ate Max­imili­an Weaver, Senior Associate Louisa Mottaz, Associate CMS Luxembourg Angelique Eguether, Senior As­so­ci­ate Guil­laume Flagollet, Managing Associate Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP (USA) Mollie D. Sitkowski Inhouse at SEFE Securing Energy for Europe GmbH Dr Jörg Kammerer Jörn RimkePress 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

Stuttgart – The founder of medical laboratory MVZ Laaff, Prof. Helmut Laaff, has sold MVZ Laaff GmbH with its facilities in Freiburg, Heilbronn and Ulm to the amedes Group. amedes is a leading German lab services provider, operating a number of healthcare centres throughout Germany with different specialisations. MVZ Laaff provides services in fields of medicine including derma­to­path­o­logy, general pathology, immunohistology, molecular pathology and cytology, and is one of the leading laboratories in these specialist areas. Details of the transaction were not disclosed.A CMS team headed by lead partner Dr Christoph Lächler advised Prof. Helmut Laaff on all legal aspects of the transaction. The sale took place by way of an auction process. A particular focus of the advice was on structuring the transaction and the associated regulatory issues. CMS Germany Dr Christoph Lächler, Lead Part­ner Stefan-Ul­rich Müller, Partner Dr Jacob Siebert, Partner Viktoria Barthel, Senior Associate Tobias Kalski, Senior As­so­ci­ate An­dreas Kazmaier, Associate, all Corporate/M&A Dr Roland Wiring, Partner Dr Siham Hidar, Senior Associate, both Regulatory Dr Harald Kahlenberg, Partner Angelika Wieczorkowski, Senior Associate, both Antitrust, Competition & Trade Dr Stefan Voss, Partner Lukas Potstada, Counsel, both Real Estate Dr Martin Mohr, Partner, TaxPress Con­tact presse@cms-hs. com

Leipzig – The HIRMER Group has sold Travel Charme Hotel GmbH & Co. KG with its 13 exclusive hotels and resorts across Germany, Austria and Italy to DSR Hotel Holding GmbH. Travel Charme is regarded as an expert in the premium segment of the leisure hotel industry. It operates hotels in top locations, particularly in the Baltic region and in the Alps. The acquisition of Travel Charme boosts DSR Hotel Holding’s portfolio to a total of 35 hotels, thus expanding its market position in the German and Austrian holiday hotel sector. The transaction is currently awaiting approval from the merger control authorities. The parties agreed not to disclose further details.A CMS team headed by Dr Jochen Lux advised the HIRMER Group on all legal aspects of the sale. The company also relied on the expertise of CMS when it acquired Travel Charme in 2018. The Munich-based HIRMER Group is wholly owned by the Hirmer family. It employs some 1,800 people and operates in the fields of fashion retail, real estate management and development and in the hotel industry. DSR Hotel Holding is majority owned by DER Touristik, making it part of the REWE Group. It operates and markets a high-quality hotel portfolio comprising both growth-oriented hotel/resort brands and traditional individual hotels. CMS Germany Dr Jochen Lux, Lead Partner Dr Kevin Schmidt, Senior As­so­ci­ate Madeline Göbel, Senior As­so­ci­ate Theresa Bendix, Project Manager Nadine Fröhlich, Project Manager, all Corporate/M&A Dr Martin Mohr, Partner, Tax Dr Rolf Hempel, Partner Martin Cholewa, Counsel, both Antitrust, Competition & TradePress Con­tact presse@cms-hs. com

Stuttgart – The shareholders of flexis AG, a flexible, innovative software technology provider specializing in production optimization and transportation planning and execution, have sold all shares to Blue Yonder, a leading supply chain solutions provider. flexis AG specializes in the development of software-based technologies aimed at optimizing supply chain management (including ordering, production, planning and execution of transports). With the acquisition, Blue Yonder expands its portfolio with a stable customer base in the automotive and OEM sector and its offering to companies with highly configurable products and an extensive network of suppliers. The combined technologies of the two companies are intended to improve production planning, order fulfilment and supply chain performance for customers and thus offer added value. The parties involved have agreed not to disclose further details of the transaction.A CMS team headed by partner Dr Heiko Wiechers and Dr Andreas Lohbeck advised the shareholders of flexis AG on all legal aspects of this transaction that underlines again the team's strength in cross-border deals in the technology sector. flexis AG, headquartered in Stuttgart, specializes in flexible, innovative software for optimizing supply chain planning and execution. With seven locations worldwide, flexis AG can look back on more than 25 years of company history. Blue Yonder, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S., is global market leader in digital supply chain trans­form­a­tions.  CMS Germany Dr Heiko Wiechers, Partner, Co-Lead Dr Andreas Lohbeck, Principal Counsel, Co-Lead Julia Fünfgeld, Senior Associate, all Corporate/M&A Dr Markus Kaulartz, Partner, TMC Dr Martin Mohr, Partner, Tax law  Birgit Wagner, Legal Manager Lisa Mattmann, Senior Legal Specialist, both Smart OperationsPress 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

Hamburg – Vattenfall has completed a strategic review of its Berlin district heating business and decided to sell it in full to the Federal State of Berlin. An agreement to this effect was signed by...

Leipzig – Serco Group, which specialises in government services, has agreed to acquire European Homecare, a company focusing on social services, from the Korte Foundation. The Essen-based provider is...

Stuttgart – The future of Weck, a company whose history goes back some 123 years, has been secured. Globally active alternative investment group AURELIUS emerged as the successful bidder in a competitive...