First investment in Europe - Chinese investor becomes the majority shareholder in the Romaco Group with the assistance of GvW Graf von Westphalen
The Chinese investor Changsha Truking Investment Ltd (TRUKING) has acquired a majority shareholding in the Romaco Group (Romaco) from Deutsche Beteiligungs AG (DBAG). The parties signed the corresponding contracts on Friday, and the closing is subject to the approvals by public authorities. DBAG will initially continue to hold a participation of 24.9 % in the Group, but will completely sell the shares on to the acquiring party within the next three years.
The acquisition of the majority participation in Romaco is the first investment in Europe for TRUKING. The company, headquartered in Changsha, offers intelligent solutions with its machinery and technologies for the pharmaceutical industry and is one of the leading pharmaceutical technology companies in China with 2,600 employees as well as more than 1,200 filed national patents. The company exports its products to more than 30 countries in Asia, Europe and South America.
As a majority shareholder of Romaco, TRUKING is continuing to expand its know-how in packaging and processing technology. Romaco, with its headquarters in Karlsruhe and other locations in Germany, Italy, France, Russia, China, Brazil and the USA, is specialized in solutions for pharmaceutical packaging and delivery systems as well as process technology applications. The customers of the company, which generated sales of EUR 134 million in the financial year 2015/2016, include globally active pharmaceutical and generics producers.
GvW Graf von Westphalen advised the Chinese investor under the leadership of the Frankfurt partner Dr Marco Zessel with a team consisting of Dr Markus Sachslehner (Partner), Ming Yi, Felix Wolf (all corporate/M&A), Christian Kusulis (Partner, antitrust law, IP), Dr Frank Tschesche (Partner), Michael Engel (both tax law), Dr Raimond Emde (Partner, distribution law), Johan van der Veer (insurance law), Felix Prozorov-Bastians (Partner, litigation), Dr Joachim Mulch (Partner, IP), Dr Daniel Michel (IT), Karsten Kujath (employment law), Andrea Torka (Partner, Finance, Real Estate), Dr Bettina Schmitt-Rady (Partnerin, environmental law) und Marian Niestedt (Partner, customs and foreign trade law).
The German GvW team was supported by Patrick Heid and Li Li (Partners, both corporate/M&A) from the GvW Shanghai office and by Fabrizio De Luca from the Italian law firm of Pirola Pennuto Zei & Associati.
The law firm, with its successful China practice in Shanghai and at the German offices of GvW, is frequently involved in providing advice to Chinese companies when entering the market and on their businesses in Germany, in addition to advising German and international companies in China. The German and Chinese GvW attorneys recently advised the Chinese company Olive in the participation in the mid-size production company Schürholz (more).
News
Federal Administrative Court: Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link may be built
The Federal Administrative Court has dismissed all six pending appeals against the planning decision on the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link. Construction of the tunnel may therefore now also begin in Germany. GvW advised the State of Schleswig-Holstein and was represented by a Hamburg team consisting of Dr Ronald Steiling (lead), Corinna Lindau, Dr Dietrich Drömann, Prof. Dr Christian Winterhoff, Dr Andreas Wolowski, Saskia Soravia, Dr Stefanie Ramsauer, Dr Annika Bleier, Felix Kazimierski and Niclas Langhans. (BVerwG 9 A 6.19, 9 A 7.19, 9 A 9.19, 9 A 10.19, 9 A 11.19, 9 A 12.19 and 9 A 13.19).
H4 Hotel Mönchengladbach at BORUSSIA-PARK: the place for that Bundesliga feeling
Football is king at H-Hotel Group’s new H4 Hotel in Mönchengladbach. Its location right next to the stadium and the theme rooms depicting the history of the Borussia Dortmund football club make this new hotel unique and a must for any football enthusiast. Our lawyers had the pleasure of advising H-Hotels Group on the creation of its first football-themed hotel and took the chance to visit this amazing place shortly after its opening.
Transport System Bögl: new local public passenger transport system a big success in China
The Max Bögl group of companies has developed a new local public passenger transport system. The system called “Transport System Bögl” (TSB) uses magnetic levitation, or “maglev” technology and provides a clean and cost-efficient means of transport for better mobility in inner city areas. The technology is becoming increasingly popular also in other countries: Max Bögl’s most recent export order was the sale of its TSB to China. The company’s plans include building a 3.5 km test track in Chengdu and extensive marketing activities to promote the technology in China – all through a sales partnership with a Chinese company.
You don't want to miss any more of the latest legal developments? And be invited to our events? Then register here.