FGvW advises OBI on the real estate law aspects of the acquisition of HELLWEG and BayWa Bau & Garten stores

FGvW has advised OBI on real estate law matters related to the planned acquisition of, initially, five stores operated by the home improvement retailers HELLWEG and BayWa Bau & Garten.

As part of the investor process involving the two companies, OBI was awarded the locations Berlin-Tiergarten, Berlin-Yorckstraße, and Münster-Gievenbeck from HELLWEG, as well as Nördlingen and Wolfratshausen from BayWa Bau & Garten. The acquisitions are still subject, in particular, to antitrust approval.

HELLWEG and BayWa Bau & Garten are currently undergoing self-administration proceedings. Continuation solutions were found for a number of their home improvement and garden centers as part of an investor process. HELLWEG operates 68 home improvement and garden centers in Germany and employs approximately 2,900 people. Its store network is concentrated primarily in the Rhine-Ruhr region and the Berlin area. BayWa Bau & Garten, with 46 stores, is primarily represented in southern Germany.

OBI plans to take over the five acquired stores, including all approximately 250 employees working there, effective December 1, 2026. OBI has been nominated as the preferred investor for seven additional locations; the corresponding negotiations have not yet been concluded. In total, up to twelve former HELLWEG and BayWa Bau & Garten stores could thus be integrated into the OBI store network.

OBI is one of the leading brands in the European construction and home improvement market. Headquartered in Wermelskirchen, the company operates more than 660 stores in ten European countries – more than 350 of them in Germany – and employs approximately 40,000 people. In fiscal year 2025, OBI generated total revenue of EUR 8.2 billion. With the acquisition of the selected locations, the company will further consolidate its network of brick-and-mortar stores in Germany.

A team at FGvW in Duesseldorf specializing in real estate transactions, led by partner Gregor Lamla, provided OBI with comprehensive advice on real estate law aspects in connection with the acquisition of the locations. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom served as lead counsel to the buyer on corporate law matters related to the transaction, while law firm Finkenhof advised on insolvency law aspects.

Advisors to OBI:

Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner, Duesseldorf

Gregor Lamla, Partner (Lead, Real Estate Law)
Dr Jessica Hanke, Partner (Real Estate Law)
Dr Pierre-André Brandt, Partner (Real Estate Law)
Alena Kemper, Associate (Real Estate Law)