Kinstellar, in collaboration with Linklaters, has successfully advised Crédit Agricole Consumer Finance and Stellantis on their acquisition of the Czech operations of LeasePlan from ALD Automotive. The deal follows ALD's announcement in January 2022 of its intention to acquire 100% of LeasePlan. Kinstellar successfully advised on the Czech aspects of the transaction. This strategic acquisition includes ALD's operations in Ireland, Norway, and Portugal, as well as LeasePlan's business activities in the Czech Republic, Finland, and Luxembourg. It marks a significant step forward in Crédit Agricole Consumer Finance and Stellantis' pursuit of growth in the mobility and long-term vehicle leasing sectors. The disposals align
Kinstellar has successfully advised Genesis Private Equity Fund I (GPEF I) on its acquisition of JP-PROLAK, a Czech engineering company specializing in the custom manufacturing of a wide range of industrial products. Based in the town of Opatov u Svitav (Pardubice region), JP-PROLAK specialises in the custom manufacturing of small and medium-sized batches of a wide range of industrial products. The firm caters to customers across various industries, including mechanical, agricultural, electrical and automotive. Offering state-of-the-art technologies in the field of laser sheet metal cutting, bending, CNC machining, welding and powder coating, JP-PROLAK has been on the market since 1992. The deal's value has
Kinstellar’s Prague and Sofia offices, together with Linklaters, have successfully advised Plastic Omnium on its acquisition of Varroc’s automotive lighting systems business (VLS) from Varroc Engineering Limited. VLS, a Tier-1 supplier of automotive lighting systems with sales of approximately EUR 800 million in 2021, will be integrated into Plastic Omnium's new Lighting division, which generated pro forma sales of approximately EUR 1 billion in 2021 and employs 7,000 people in 11 plants worldwide. The Kinstellar team was led in Prague jointly by Karla Rundtová (Partner) and Adam Němec (Managing Associate) and also involved Petra Ledvinková (Senior Associate), Jakub Šťastný, Anna Veselská, Tereza Mašková
Kinstellar has successfully advised Genesis Private Equity Fund IV (GPEF IV), the newest private equity fund of Genesis Capital, and Evolving Europe Principal Investments I (EEPI I), a private equity and growth capital fund advised by Integral Venture Partners, on its acquisition of BORCAD, an innovative producer of train seats and interior equipment for passenger trains based in Fryčovice, Czech Republic. BORCAD is a leading European producer of railway technologies and offers a full range of seats for personal carriages, from standard seats for regional trains to luxury, fully electrically operated seats for long-distance trains. In its more than 30-year history, the company has produced nearly 500,000 seats for
Kinstellar is pleased to announce that it has successfully advised Business Lease Group B.V., a car-fleet management services provider, and its CEE subsidiaries, on a EUR 242 million syndicated cross-border refinancing loan covering the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. The refinancing loan, which was granted based on a multicurrency term and revolving facilities agreement, will be used for company operations. Business Lease Group B.V., a mobility services provider with a solid reputation across Europe, is part of the AutoBinck Group, one of the largest players in the European mobility market with over 100 years of experience in automotive services. Kinstellar’s cross-border team was coordinated from
Kinstellar’s Prague office has successfully advised Faurecia Seating Plzeň on its plant expansion in Nýřany, the Czech Republic. The entire process, including site selection, lease negotiation and changing of necessary permits took only 11 months, which is unprecedented, as negotiations took place primarily online due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The new, built-to-suit premises comprise 12,700 m2 of industrial and administrative space, which Faurecia Seating Plzeň will use to produce automobile seats for vehicles produced by BMW, Opel, Volkswagen and others. Faurecia has had a production facility on site since 2013. The Kinstellar team included Karla Rundtová (Partner) and Jan Lehký (Counsel). Faurecia
Kinstellar has successfully advised Raiffeisenbank on the financing for the acquisition of Trestles, a manufacturer of handling and storage equipment with offices in the Czech Republic, France, Austria and Poland. Kinstellar advised on the drafting of loan and security documentation and on the escrow agreement for settlement of the purchase price. The value of the deal has not been disclosed. The Kinstellar team was led by Martina Březinová (Counsel) and included Jakub Šťastný and Alice Radvanovská (Junior Associates). For more information please contact Martina Březinová, Counsel, at martina.brezinova@kinstellar.c om.
Kinstellar has successfully advised Raiffeisenbank on the financing for the acquisition of DCK Holoubkov, a company focusing on the production of all-plastic outdoor low-voltage distribution switchboards, with an annual production of around 120,000 pcs. The main customers are Czech energy companies and wholesale organisations focused on electrical installation materials. Kinstellar advised on the drafting of loan and security documentation and the escrow agreement for settlement of the purchase price. The value of the deal has not been disclosed. The Kinstellar team was led by Martina Březinová (Counsel) and included Jakub Šťastný and Igor Šebo (Junior Associates). For more information please
Kinstellar, Emerging Europe and Central Asia’s leading independent law firm, is delighted to announce the promotions to Partner of Antonia Mavrova in Sofia and Tomáš Čihula in Prague. Antonia Mavrova, Sofia Antonia has been with Kinstellar since the launch of our Sofia office in 2014 and has been instrumental in the development of the Sofia office and its real estate practice. She also serves as head of our regional Automotive & Industrials sector and has been working tirelessly to build and develop our track record in this area. Antonia has 20 years of experience advising on real estate investments. Her expertise includes the structuring and acquisition of large real estate portfolios; the sale and
Kinstellar has advised Nidec Corporation, a leading Japanese manufacturer of electric motors, on the Slovak law aspects of the acquisition of the Brazilian compressor business, Embraco, from Whirlpool Corporation for US$1.08 billion in cash. Sidley Austin has served as global legal counsel to Nidec Corporation. Embraco, headquartered in Brazil, has been a Whirlpool majority-owned business unit since 1997. The business has a workforce of approximately 11,000 employees across eight global manufacturing facilities located in Brazil, Italy, China, Slovakia and Mexico. Embraco also maintains commercial offices in the United States and Russia. The transaction is expected to be finalised in early 2019, subject to regulatory
Kinstellar has acted as Hungarian legal counsel to Berenberg, Erste Group, Citigroup and Renaissance Capital, as Joint Global Coordinators and Joint Bookrunners, regarding the initial public offering of Waberer’s International, one of Europe’s largest long-haul transportation companies, on the Budapest Stock Exchange. The Kinstellar team, led by the Budapest office’s Managing Partner Csilla Andrékó and Managing Associate and capital markets specialist Ákos Mátés-Lányi, advised on the legal documentation and the corporate and regulatory issues of the transaction. The team also coordinated the communication with the regulators and took a leading role in the general transaction management. With regards to
Kinstellar has successfully advised Trelleborg, a world leader in engineered polymer solutions, on its latest divestment, the sale to Hexpol of Trelleborg Material & Mixing Lesina s.r.o., a producer and supplier of polymer compounds. The acquisition price is estimated at approximately EUR 65 million. Trelleborg Material & Mixing Lesina s.r.o, headquartered at a manufacturing facility in Lesina, the Czech Republic, posted a turnover of EUR 40 million in 2016 and has around 125 employees. The Kinstellar team was led by Jan Juroška (Partner), and included Kristýna Del Maschio (Junior Associate) and Michal Kníž (Associate). For more information please contact Jan Juroška at