German team advises private equity fund ESSVP IV, a fund advised by Orlando Management GmbH (Orlando), in the context of the acquisition of the Härter Group by fund companies

Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright has advised ESSVP IV, a private equity fund advised by Orlando Management GmbH, on the implementation of a complex transaction regarding the Härter Group. Orlando's experienced team of specialists regularly advises medium-sized companies as well as entrepreneurs, and is known in the German-speaking and Nordic regions as an expert in complex corporate takeovers.

As part of the transaction, ESSVP IV indirectly acquired all limited partner shares in Härter Stanztechnik GmbH & Co. KGaA, as well as all limited partner shares in its general partner KG, Härter GmbH & Co.KG, and all shares in its general partner GmbH, Härter Verwaltungs GmbH. The acquisition was made from a trust company which held the shares in trust for members of the Härter family and various banks. 

The acquisition of the business shares was supplemented by the purchase of all loan receivables of Härter Stanztechnik GmbH & Co. KGaA and its German subsidiaries Härter Werkzeugbau GmbH and Hottinger Präzisionstechnik GmbH, resulting in an almost complete debt relief of the Härter Group.

The Härter Group specialises in the manufacture and sale of stamped, drawn and bent parts (in particular current-carrying stamped parts), plastic-moulded stamped parts (in particular current-carrying connectors and assembled components), as well as the manufacture and sale of the tools required for this.

The Norton Rose Fulbright team was led by Munich partners Sven Schweneke and Dr Michael Prüßner (both Private Equity, M&A). They were supported by Counsel Benjamin Schikora and Associates Dr Hannah Frahm and Marc Abele (all Corporate/ M&A, Munich). The team was further supported by Munich partners Claudia Posluschny (Employment) and Oliver Beyer (Real Estate) and Frankfurt partner Oliver Sutter (Finance) with associates Roman Kalitsev (Employment), Michael Böger (Real Estate, both Munich), Kristina Thielemann (Finance, Frankfurt), Alisa Kuznetsova (Finance, Frankfurt) and Max Oscar Zeisler (Corporate/M&A, Munich).

On the Orlando side, Georg Madersbacher (Partner), Sebastian Stalter (Investment Director), Nicolas Beck (Investment Associate), Philipp Schindler (Investment Analyst) and Dr. Valerie Barth (Attorney) were involved.

CMS Hasche Sigle Partnerschaft von Rechtsanwälten und Steuerberatern mbB, HP Legal Tax Consulting Dr. Winfried Holtermüller, Barbara Puche Partnergesellschaft mbB, Menold Bezler Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater Wirtschaftsprüfer Partnerschaft mbB, Noerr Partnerschaftsgesellschaft mbB Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater Wirtschaftsprüfer, Schultze & Braun Vermögensverwaltungs- und Treuhandgesellschaft mbH, SGP Schneider Geiwitz GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft Steuerberatungsgesellschaft were also involved in the transaction.