Airbag technology: Equistone acquires Ashurst Rhodius Group – JUVE

The Investor Equistone Partners has bought the Rhodius Group. The seller is Nordholding Unternehmensbeteiligungsgesellschaft and BayBG Bayerische Beteiligungsgesellschaft. The competition authorities have to approve the purchase yet.

Benedict firmierend of Schorlemer

Equistone, formerly Barclays Private Equity, invests primarily in medium-sized companies with an enterprise value between 50 and 300 million euros. The portfolio currently includes nearly 60 companies throughout Europe, including 17 active investments in Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands. The purchase financed Equistone on a loan, the Commerzbank provides.

2006 had been adopted by the citizens group Nord Holding and BayBG Rhodius. The company, based in the Bavarian town of Weissenburg manufactures components for the airbag industry and filtration products. Rhodius, with around 400 employees at four sites in Germany, Hungary and China last an annual turnover of 45 million euros

Consultants Equistone
Ashurst:. Dr. Benedikt von Schorlemer (Corporate, Frankfurt), Dr. Bernd Egbers (both lead; finance; Munich), Heiko Penndorf (Tax Law), Peter Junghänel (Real Estate Law), Dr. Andreas Mauroschat (Labour), Jan Krekeler (Corporate, all Frankfurt), Christiane Bestgen (financing, Munich), Dr. Anna-Katharina Lohbeck (IT law; Frankfurt); Associates Jan copper, Marcel Goroll, Maximilian Santüns (all Corporate, all Frankfurt), Dr. Thomas Freund, Susanne Kasnitz (both financing; Munich), Katrin Lübcke, Juditha von der Heydt (labor law), Felix Krüger (tax law, all Frankfurt )

Consultants Nordholding / BayBG
Linklaters (Munich): Dr. Rainer Traugott (Lead; Corporate), Andreas Schaflitzl (Tax), Associates: Holger Ebersberger ( leadership; corporate), Steffen Schmidt Schell (Banking Law; Frankfurt), Hanno Witt (Corporate), Dr. Dorthe Bauer, Bettina Hulde (both Tax)

Consultants Commerzbank
Clifford Chance : Thomas Weitkamp (Lead; banking and capital markets law, Munich), Thorsten Sauerhering (Tax Law; Frankfurt); Associate: Sabrina Bremer (banking and capital market law, Frankfurt)

Background : Linklaters has advised Nord Holding for the first time. The mandate came about because the firm has advised the end of 2012 in a transaction on the opposite side: Back then sold the North Holding the textile company Heytex Bramsche. Linklaters advised at the time to the buyer, the German Beteiligungs AG (DBAG). DBAG sets of transactions on a regular basis to the firm, often under the auspices of its well-known Munich Partners Traugott.

Ashurst accompanied Equistone regularly, about the purchase of the IT security specialist computer links and in financing the purchase of AF Gaming Holding and the Caseking Holding. (Eva Lienemann)