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FGvW Advises Swiss Automotive Group on the Acquisition of a Czech Joint Venture

Swiss Automotive Group AG (SAG), headquartered in Cham, Switzerland, acquired all shares in CZ Aftermarket Holding GmbH from the Stahlgruber Group on January 8, 2020. The acquired company was founded in 2014 by Stahlgruber and Ernst Markmiller GmbH to combine their Czech subsidiaries (STAHLGRUBER CZ s.r.o. and APM Automotive s.r.o.) in a joint venture. Previously the Stahlgruber Group held 51.8 % and Markmiller 48.2 % of the shares. As part of the transaction, the shares have now been combined at SAG, although the merger is still subject to approval by the antitrust authorities.

SAG received comprehensive legal advice on the acquisition of the shares from our team specializing in international M&A transactions under the joint leadership of Barbara Mayer and Jan Barth. The local aspects of the drafting of the contract were worked out in close cooperation with the colleagues of the law firm bpv Braun in Prague, who had also conducted the due diligence and with whom FGvW had already cooperated in numerous transactions.

With the acquisition of the two Czech companies, the Swiss Automotive Group further expands its presence as a pan-European spare parts dealer for passenger cars and commercial vehicles. SAG is already market leader in Switzerland, Romania and Serbia and has a strong market penetration in Austria, Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary. In addition to service, repair and the supply of spare parts, the company also offers lubricants, car accessories, workshop equipment and consumables. The clientele includes garages, independent car repair shops, vehicle body shops and car electricians, but also manufacturers of special vehicles, resellers and specialist markets. In 2018, the company generated sales of around 900 million Swiss francs and employs around 3,200 people at over 180 locations.

SAG was already advised by FGvW on the merger with Autoteile Pöllath in December 2019. The contact to SAG was established through the Swiss law firm Kellerhals Carrard, with whom we have been working closely for many years.

Advisors to Swiss Automotive Group AG:
Barbara Mayer, Partner (Co-Leadership, M&A)
Jan Barth, Senior Associate (Co-Leadership, M&A)
Lukas Kalkbrenner, Senior Associate (IP & Privacy)
Meike Kapp-Schwoerer, Senior Associate (Commercial Law)
Moritz Jenne, Senior Associate (Corporate Law)
Arthur Braun, bpv Braun Partners (lead partner CZ, antitrust law )
Ondrej Poništiak, bpv Braun Partners (M&A)
Lucie Kalašová, bpv Braun Partners (Labor Law)

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