FGvW advises abas Software AG on acquisition of US company

Freiburg, January 2, 2017: The abas Software AG with headquarters in Karlsruhe has taken over abas Inc (USA). This acquisition gives abas Software AG access to one of the largest and fastest growing markets for ERP and related solutions in the target segment.

"The American market has a significant size and a strong momentum. The market also plays a key role when it comes to new technological approaches. In this respect the acquisition is strategically important for us", explains Werner Strub, CEO of abas Software AG, on the subject of the acquisition of abas USA.

In the course of the transaction abas Software AG was comprehensively advised by a corporate team of the Freiburg office of Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner under the guidance of partner Gerhard Manz. In the USA consulting services for the transaction were provided by Martijn Steger and Katja Garvey from the law firm Kegler Brown, Ohio, USA, with which Friedrich Graf von Westphalen has co-operated for many years. The focus of their activities was legal due diligence and the structuring of the transaction.

The abas Software AG with 65 locations and more than 3,300 customers worldwide is a leading supplier of ERP solutions for German medium-sized companies. The company develops enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for small to medium-sized companies. Abas was founded in 1980 in Karlsruhe and along with SAP and Microsoft counts as one of the most traditional and established suppliers of enterprise software. Approximately 1,000 people currently work for abas in 29 countries and at the Karlsruhe location roughly 360 employees develop software which in international comparative studies has repeatedly distinguished itself through the highest customer satisfaction.

Advisors to abas Software AG

Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner mbB, Freiburg, Germany
Gerhard Manz, Partner (project guidance, corporate, M&A)
Dr. Barbara Mayer, Partner (corporate, M&A)
Dr. Frank Jungfleisch, Partner (IT)
Julia Reinhardt, Associate (corporate, M&A)
Dr. Jan Barth, Associate (corporate, M&A)

Kegler Brown, Ohio, USA
Martijn Steger, director and leader, global business practice
Katja Garvey, associate

Contact person:

Gerhard Manz
Lawyer, partner
Phone: +49 761 21808304
Email: gerhard.manz@fgvw.de

Dr. Barbara Mayer
Lawyer, partner
Phone: +49 761 21808314
Email: barbara.mayer@fgvw.de

About Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner mbB

Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner mbB is one of the leading corporate law firms in Germany. Approximately 80 lawyers of the firm advise companies around the world from the locations of Cologne, Freiburg, Frankfurt/Main, Alicante and Brussels with co-operation offices in Shanghai, São Paulo and Istanbul. The corporate law firm has an approximate total of 200 employees. More information is available in the internet at www.fgvw.de/en/home.