Category: News

We represented the IROMET investment fund in the acquisition of the bankrupt Liberty Ostrava plants

The bpv BRAUN PARTNERS team advised the investment fund IROMET on the acquisition of the assets of the insolvent Liberty Ostrava – a strategically significant steel producer with more than 70 years of tradition under the Nová huť brand.

This was one of the most complex transactions of the year on the Czech market – a challenging legal and financial process with major implications for regional industry and employment. Our advisory services covered legal due diligence, negotiation of transaction documentation, and representing in financing of the transaction.

“One of the key challenges was addressing environmental burdens and emission allowances, requiring not only in-depth knowledge of EU legislation but also a strategic mindset for legal solutions”, says David Vosol, who led the team together with František Čech, David Plevka, and Adam Dobiáš.

bpv LEGAL Office Outing 2025 – City Lights & Vineyard Nights

From 11–13 September 2025, colleagues from across the bpv LEGAL network gathered in Budapest and Etyek, Hungary for our much-anticipated Office Outing 2025, a three-day event filled with culture, collaboration, and celebration.

A Warm Welcome in Budapest

The outing began with a guided tour of the Zwack Unicum House, where participants explored Hungary’s iconic herbal liqueur heritage. A welcome lunch followed at the Aranybástya Restaurant, located in the historic Buda Castle district, offering panoramic views of the city. Our team then checked into the Abacus Business & Wellness Hotel, setting the stage for the first plenary session, “From Pilots to Practice: bpv LEGAL offices on the AI journey”. The presentations showcased the latest developments and practical applications of AI, and the discussion brought together diverse perspectives that sparked thoughtful conversations. The discussions also emphasized the importance of responsible use of AI tools in legal practice, highlighting ethical considerations and best practices. Overall, the sessions reinforced the value of curiosity and knowledge-sharing, leaving the team inspired and better equipped to explore new ideas collaboratively.

The evening concluded with an unforgettable wine tasting and dinner at the Hernyák Vineyard Estate in Etyek.

Our second full day brought a cinematic start with a behind-the-scenes tour of Korda Film Studios, one of Europe’s largest film production centers. After a shared lunch, colleagues could join in on two engaging team-building activities: a Hollywood-themed quiz game full of music and movie trivia, and an outdoor relay combining physical, mental, and creative tasks. The set of games and creative challenges sparked both problem-solving and laughter, creating moments of genuine collaboration. The games and challenges encouraged everyone to step out of their usual roles, and it was inspiring to see different strengths and perspectives come to light

The day ended in style with a Gala Dinner at Haraszthy Vineyard, followed by a lively bowling, pool, and party back at the hotel, ensuring that laughter and camaraderie carried late into the night.

The Office Outing 2025 was more than just a corporate retreat. It was a chance to strengthen professional bonds across our international offices, celebrate teamwork, and enjoy the unique blend of city lights and vineyard nights that Hungary has to offer.

We look forward to the next gathering and the many opportunities it will bring to grow together as one bpv LEGAL family.

bpv GRIGORESCU ȘTEFĂNICĂ becomes the first Romanian independent law firm to implement cutting-edge AI workspace Legora

bpv GRIGORESCU ȘTEFĂNICĂ announces its partnership with LEGORA, the leading collaborative AI platform for lawyers, implementing the technology across several practice areas. As Romania’s most prominent firm in the Technology, Media, and Telecoms sector and the first to adopt this platform, bpv GRIGORESCU ȘTEFĂNICĂ continues to pioneer industry innovation. Following a comprehensive evaluation, the firm chose Legora for its superior performance, reliability, user friendliness and seamless team integration capabilities. This strategic investment enhances the firm’s capability to deliver outstanding client services while positioning it as a market innovator.

Legora’s user-friendly design integrates seamlessly with existing workflows, enabling lawyers to focus more time on meaningful work while accelerating execution speed. Automation of routine tasks and administrative processes allows lawyers to free up time and direct their expertise toward the sophisticated legal reasoning that creates value for clients. The platform’s security architecture safeguards confidential client data throughout all automated workflows.

“Our commitment to remaining at the forefront of the industry drives us to continuously embrace new technologies that benefit our clients,” said Cătălin Grigorescu, Managing Partner at bpv GRIGORESCU ȘTEFĂNICĂ. “We have gone through an extensive evaluation process of several solutions and found Legora to be best at enabling our lawyers to focus on substantive work that employs their specialised knowledge. Technology transforms how we approach legal challenges, allowing us to provide more strategic counsel while maintaining the personalised attention our clients expect.”

Recognising that rigorous document review and research work has traditionally been assigned to junior lawyers as part of their professional development, the firm is adapting its training methodology to focus on higher-level analytical skills and strategic thinking from earlier career stages. This evolution in legal education emphasises both technical proficiency and adherence to the highest ethical and professional standards in legal practice.

“We think long and hard about the future of legal training. While it is too early to make hard statements about the future shape of our team and practice as technology develops, we already recognise that we need to train young lawyers in our firm for a partially different skill set than the traditional one. At the same time, more senior lawyers will have to adapt to new ways of delivering value to the clients. As we get this right, we will be able to enhance our team’s impact on our client matters and our business, including the team’s wellbeing, manifold in a very short period of time,” added Cătălin Grigorescu.

Key Business Enhancements will include:

► Enhanced Client Service: Faster document processing and case preparation enable more strategic client engagement and significantly improve execution speed.
► Increased Efficiency: AI-assisted review capabilities free up lawyers to focus on high-value analysis, strategy development, and negotiations.
► Strategic Market Position: Technology adoption ensures the firm remains a leader in legal service delivery and industry innovation.

The firm will continue to evaluate and integrate additional AI-enabled technologies while maintaining its commitment to the personalised service and legal excellence that clients expect. Based on positive outcomes, the firm is discussing extending the use of the Legora platform throughout bpv LEGAL in the Central and Eastern Europe with the aim to strengthen collective capabilities.

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About Legora

Legora, the collaborative AI platform for lawyers, serves over 250 leading law firms and in-house legal teams globally, helping lawyers to review and research faster, draft smarter, and advise with precision. More than just a platform, Legora is a true partner to clients, from first interaction to company-wide rollout and beyond, powering multiple work-critical use cases and helping teams get to the heart of key issues in minutes and hours rather than days. Legora.com

bpv Huegel advises NÖM AG on strategic partnership with Vorarlberg Milch

The law firm bpv Huegel provided comprehensive support to NÖM AG during its merger with Vorarlberg Milch.

26 August 2025. As part of the transaction, NÖM AG is acquiring the production facility of Vorarlberg Milch GmbH in Feldkirch, which will be managed as part of the NÖM Group in future. At the same time, Vorarlberg Milch eGen is acquiring a direct 3% stake in NÖM AG and will be represented on the Supervisory Board.

The transaction has already been approved by the Federal Competition Authority. The majority shares in NÖM AG remain unchanged with Raiffeisen-Holding NÖ-Wien reg. Gen via Niederösterreichische Milch Holding GmbH and with MGN Milchgenossenschaft Niederösterreich reg. Gen.

bpv Huegel was responsible for structuring the transaction, conducting due diligence, drafting and negotiating the agreements, and handling the merger control proceedings.

“The partnership between NÖM AG and Vorarlberg Milch represents a significant step forward for the Austrian dairy industry. We are pleased to have supported NÖM AG in this strategic development,” said Christoph Nauer, Co-Managing Partner at bpv Huegel.

Press release

bpv Huegel advises CPI Europe on the sale of the Vienna Marriott Hotel

The international sales process for the renowned Vienna Marriott Hotel at Parkring Vienna has been successfully completed with its acquisition by an international consortium of investors.

Vienna, 01 July 2025. bpv Huegel provided comprehensive advice to CPI Europe group (S IMMO) on the sale of the Vienna Marriott Hotel to an international consortium of investors. As part of its strategic realignment, CPI Europe is selling the property at Parkring 12a and the hotel business.

The transaction was implemented through share deals and involves the iconic Viennese hotel property, a large-scale, mixed-use inner-city property, as well as the hotel operating company. The transaction value amounts to over EUR 100 million. The closing for the sale of the real estate companies took place on 27 June 2025. The closing for the hotel operating company is scheduled for January 2026.

The buyer is a joint venture between Evientro Ltd and London-based Landfair European Dislocated Opportunities SCSp, which specializes in liquidity solutions in the European real estate market.

Almost exactly 40 years after its opening on 1 July 1985, one of Vienna’s most famous hotels is changing owners. The hotel, with over 300 rooms and suites, was the first Marriott hotel in the German-speaking region. The hotel will continue to be operated by Marriott International under a long-term management agreement.

“The transaction is one of the most significant hotel sales in Vienna in recent years. We are proud to be supporting CPI Europe on this complex real estate and corporate transaction,” said Christoph Nauer, partner at bpv Huegel and co-lead on the transaction.

bpv Huegel’s advisory services covered the international bidding process, complex corporate structuring, drafting and negotiation of transaction agreements, and tax issues. The bpv Huegel team was jointly led by Christoph Nauer (Corporate/M&A), Dominik Geyer (Real Estate) and Roland Juill (Corporate/M&A), and included Nicolas Wolski (Tax Law), Paul Pfeifenberger (Real Estate, Labor Law), Patrick Nutz-Fallheier (Corporate/M&A), Tim Pasternak (Corporate/M&A) and Gerhard Fussenegger (Antitrust Law).

The buyer’s advisors included SAXINGER (lead counsel to the buyer joint venture), AKELA (co-counsel for acquisition financing on the buyer side), Binder Grösswang (merger control on the buyer side), DLA Piper (legal advisor to the buyer in Germany and Luxembourg), Wolf Theiss (legal advisor to the financing bank, UniCredit Bank Austria AG) and BDO Austria (tax law buyer), which also advised on valuation issues relating to the transaction.

The transaction was facilitated by hotel real estate specialist Christie & Co, who acted as advisor and exclusive broker.

Press release

15th anniversary of our Slovak office in Bratislava

We have just celebrated our special milestone – the 15th anniversary of our Slovak office!

To mark this demanding, yet very successful journey, we celebrated at the beautiful Bratislava Castle. Connecting again with many of our valued clients, friends as well as the partners from bpv LEGAL in such iconic setting, surrounded by the breathtaking view of the city and the Danube, we enjoyed an inspiring evening dedicated to collaboration, trust and memories of shared successes. What ann evening full of joy and a sense of community.

Thank you all for your continued support on the Slovak (and also on the Czech) market.

We look forward to many more years with you!

bpv GRIGORESCU STEFANICA team advised the German technology company cbs on the acquisition of SkyConsult SAP business

bpv GRIGORESCU STEFANICA team advised the German technology company cbs (Corporate Business Solutions Unternehmensberatung GmbH) on the acquisition of the SAP division of the Romanian-based  SkyConsult, marking cbs’ entry into the Romanian market.

For 30 years, cbs has been a trusted partner to global market leaders, helping them to generate lasting value in their industries using technologies like SAP and Salesforce. Today, cbs operates worldwide, with a strong focus on fast value in projects to optimise end-to-end business processes. The launch of its Romanian subsidiary marks a strategic step in the company’s international expansion, joining a network of over 35 locations across Europe, the United States, Malaysia, and beyond.

Our services included advising the company on all legal aspects of the acquisition, including due diligence, drafting and negotiating the documentation, the implementation of the acquisition and the subsequent integration into cbs’ Romanian subsidiary.

“This was a particularly challenging transaction. The project combined both brownfield and greenfield elements, making the launch of cbs’ operations in Romania strategically important. We are proud to have played a role in this milestone for CBS and grateful for the trust placed in us.” said Cristina Daianu, M&A Partner at bpv GRIGORESCU ȘTEFĂNICĂ.

The team, led by Cristina Dăianu, Partner, included Laura Popa (Managing Associate in the Employment practice), Roxana Daskălu (Senior Associate in the TMT practice), Tania Adam and Matei Tomi (Associates in the Corporate/M&A practice).

“It’s rewarding to see our team’s vast expertise in technology-driven transactions recognised and valued once more. Our intensely technology-focused M&A transaction practice has recently been involved in some of the most prominent sector transactions in Romania, which is a confirmation of our expertise and tight connections to the TMT sector. The transaction also highlights our unique expertise in working with clients from the DACH region”, concluded Catalin Grigorescu, Managing Partner at bpv GRIGORESCU STEFANICA

Our Technology Transactions practice has been involved in some of the most prominent sector transactions recently, including:

▸ FOOTPRINTS AI on the investment of Catalyst Romania Fund II;
▸ SARMIS Capital on the acquisition of Total Technologies to strengthen Smart ID’s position as a regional leader in the industrial technology and automation market;
▸ the private equity firm Omnia Capital on its investment in the digital shipping house Cargo Buddy;
▸ Creatopy and its co-founders in a $10 million Series A funding round;
▸ Softelligence and its shareholders in connection with its acquisition by the US company Encora Holdings Limited, part of the Encora Group; the company VERIDION (formerly Soleadify), its founders, as well as the venture capital fund LAUNCHUB Ventures and other participants in a USD 6 million financing round;
▸ software and infrastructure company INCRYS in connection with acquiring information technology services company USOURCE;
▸ Innoship and its shareholders on the acquisition of a majority stake in Innoship by the private equity fund Abris Capital.

 

bpv Huegel advises RWA on the sale of its share in AUSTRIA JUICE to AGRANA

Vienna, 03 June 2025. bpv Huegel successfully advised RWA Raiffeisen Ware Austria Aktiengesellschaft (RWA) on the sale of its share in AUSTRIA JUICE GmbH to AGRANA Beteiligungs-Aktiengesellschaft.

AGRANA already holds a share in AUSTRIA JUICE and will hold 100% in the company following the acquisition of RWA’s share in AUSTRIA JUICE. AUSTRIA JUICE is a major manufacturer of fruit juice concentrates with headquarters in Kroellendorf (Lower Austria) and 13 production sites in Austria, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, and China. The company employs around 1,000 people in total. Its turnover amounts to around EUR 330 million.

bpv Huegel already advised RWA on the establishment of the joint venture with AGRANA in 2012.

“We are proud to have been at RWA’s side from the founding of the AUSTRIA JUICE joint venture until its exit more than 13 years later,” said Thomas Lettau, partner and co-head of the Corporate/M&A practice group at bpv Huegel.

The bpv Huegel team was led by Thomas Lettau and also included Christoph Nauer, Nicolas Wolski, Anna Zirkler, Astrid Ablasser-Neuhuber and Gerhard Fussenegger.

AGRANA was advised by Schoenherr.

The transaction is subject to approval by the relevant competition and investment control authorities.

Press release

bpv Huegel advises RWA eGEN on acquisition financing for the purchase of shares in RWA AG

RWA eGen completes the purchase of shares in RWA AG from BayWa AG. The acquisition financing was structured and provided by Raiffeisen Bank International AG.

16 May 2025. bpv Huegel advised RWA Raiffeisen Ware Austria Handel und Vermögensverwaltung eGen (RWA eGen) and its acquisition holding on the completion of the approximately 47.53% share purchase in RWA Raiffeisen Ware Austria Aktiengesellschaft (RWA AG) and the acquisition financing from Raiffeisen Bank International AG (RBI). The share purchase with BayWa Aktiengesellschaft (BayWa AG) was completed on 2 May 2025. The purchase price amounts to EUR 176 million. The share purchase agreement was concluded at the end of last year.

The acquisition financing was structured and provided by Raiffeisen Bank International AG (RBI). With the completion of the purchase, the control over RWA AG is now fully held by RWA eGen in Austria.

“We are proud that we were able to successfully support RWA in this strategically important acquisition and financing and would like to thank all the teams involved in the transaction for their excellent cooperation,” says Christoph Nauer, the partner who led the transaction.

RWA AG is a producer, service provider and trader in the business areas of agriculture, technology, energy, building materials and home & garden. As the umbrella organisation of the Lagerhaus cooperatives in Austria, RWA AG provides them with a comprehensive range of services in the aforementioned areas. In addition, RWA AG holds a large number of participations and subsidiaries in Austria and in selected Eastern European countries. RWA eGen also holds the majority of shares in Raiffeisen Agrar Invest AG, which is the second-largest shareholder in BayWa AG with a stake of around 28.3%.

The bpv Huegel team led by partners Christoph Nauer (Corporate/M&A, Capital Markets) and Ingo Braun (Financing & Regulatory), included Barbara Valente (Financing & Regulatory, Corporate/M&A), Daniel Maurer (Financing & Regulatory, Corporate/M&A), Patrick Nutz-Fallheier (Corporate/M&A), Roland Juill (Corporate/M&A) and Johannes Mitterecker (Corporate/M&A). The merger control and investment control proceedings in seven countries were handled by a team led by partner Astrid Ablasser-Neuhuber (Merger Control/FDI) with Stefan Holzweber and Philipp Stengg (both Merger Control).

RWA eGen was advised on German law by FPS Rechtsanwälte, Frankfurt (Daniel Herper). BayWa AG was represented by a team from Jones Day, Munich (Maximilian P. Krause, Alexander Ballmann, Jürgen Beninca and Sebastian Schwab).

RBI, as the structuring and financing bank, was advised by a team from Schoenherr comprising Martin Ebner, Christian Cacic, Gabriel Ebner, Viktoria Carranza-Berg and Kristina Petz.

Press release

bpv Huegel: Johannes Mitterecker becomes partner

bpv Huegel is delighted to appoint Johannes Mitterecker as a partner. He works in the Corporate Law/M&A practice group and specialises in M&A transactions, restructuring and sports law.

15 May 2025. bpv Huegel appoints DDr. Johannes Mitterecker, LL.M., as a new partner with effect from May 2025. Johannes Mitterecker is an experienced transaction lawyer who joined bpv Huegel in 2021, specialising in corporate law, private equity and venture capital funds. He also provides corporate and regulatory advice to alternative investment funds, investment and venture capital funds, family offices and investment firms.

Furthermore, he is establishing an interdisciplinary sports law practice group at bpv Huegel.

Johannes Mitterecker is the editor and author of numerous publications on corporate, capital market and sports law, including groundbreaking publications such as the comprehensive commentary on the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Act (AIFMG) and practical handbooks on sports law and shareholder disputes.

Johannes Mitterecker holds doctoral degrees from the University of Vienna and the Vienna University of Economics and Business, as well as an LL.M. from Columbia University in New York. He is also admitted to the New York State Bar.

Christoph Nauer, Co-Managing Partner of bpv Huegel, congratulates the new partner: “We are delighted to welcome Johannes to our partnership and look forward to continuing the growth of the firm with him, delivering top-quality services in high-end transaction advisory.”

Press release