Noerr advises KATHREIN on sale of antenna business to Ericsson

Acting as lead counsel, a Noerr team headed by Corporate partner Christian Pleister is advising KATHREIN SE on the sale of its mobile networks antenna business (around 4,000 employees worldwide) to the listed group Ericsson. The complex asset deal in more than 20 jurisdictions is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2019.

KATHREIN’s Products division has a strong R&D organisation with comprehensive experience in antenna design and research, associated with a strong IPR portfolio. Ericsson and KATHREIN can look back on a long-standing technology partnership.  Excellent prospects for both the division and its employees are expected by both companies, in particular in view of the new 5G mobile telephone standard.

The closing of the transaction is subject to the usual conditions and approvals by the competent supervisory authorities.

Noerr was engaged via the management consulting firm Ziems & Partner, whose partners Hans-Joachim Ziems and Elmar Geissinger are acting as Chief Restructuring Officer and Chief Financial Officer respectively at KATHREIN. Ziems & Partner and Noerr have for years collaborated on various projects, including the restructuring of Pfleiderer, the VEM Merckle Group, the A.T.U. Group and the sale of textiles discounter NKD.

Advisors to KATHREIN SE:

Transaction lead: Ziems & Partner (Hans-Joachim Ziems, Elmar Geissinger)

Advisors on transaction: Noerr LLP

Professor Christian Pleister (Frankfurt/Berlin), Holger Ebersberger (Munich, joint team lead), Dr Martin Geipel (Energy, Berlin), Dr Benjamin Jahn (Employment, Munich), Dr Torsten Kraul (IP, Berlin), Marlies Raschke (Restructuring, Dresden), Dr Hans-Christoph Schimmelpfennig (Employment, Munich), Dr Bärbel Sachs (Foreign Trade), Dr Kathrin Westermann (Antitrust, both Berlin), Professor Sebastian Wündisch (IP, Dresden)

Associates: Theresa Arand (IP), Grit Döpke (Real Estate), Stefanie Heinemann (Private Equity, all Berlin), Dr Fabian Hübener (Antitrust, Brussels), Friedrich von Ketteler (Corporate/M&A), Francesc Lloveras (Private Equity), Kenny Koa (Restructuring, all Berlin), Dr Maximilian Kummer (Digital Business, Munich), Robert Marx (Private Equity), Luiza Saito Sampaio (Corporate/M&A), Dr Enno Stange (Real Estate, all Berlin), Franziska Nebollieff (Private Equity, Munich), Dr Manuel Weiß (Private Equity, Berlin)

Noerr Bucharest: Gabriel Popa (Banking & Finance, Bucharest), Adrian Georgescu-Banc (Corporate/M&A, Bucharest)

Noerr Warsaw: Radoslaw Biedecki (Real Estate), Mateusz Slodczyk (Corporate/M&A)

Advisors on tax: Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (Dr Christian Sistermann, Dr David Beutel, Dr. Martin Rehberg, all Munich)

Advisors on financing: Allen & Overy (Peter Hoegen, Frankfurt)

Advisors on real estate: Gleiss Lutz (Dr Tim Weber, Frankfurt)

Financial advisor: Rothschild & Co (Henning Block, Frankfurt)

Advisors to KATHREIN shareholder/Kathrein family: BBL Bernsau Brockdorff (Dr Stephan Kolmann, Birgit Kurz, both Munich)

KATHREIN SE In-house counsel/legal department: Mike Tschirschwitz (General Counsel), Stefanie Nohe (Legal Counsel)

Foreign counsel coordinated by Noerr:

Basham, Ringe y Correa (Mexico), Zhong Lun (China), Pryor Cashman LLP (USA), Jeantet Associés (France), Motta Fernandes Rocha (Brazil), Addleshaw Goddard (United Kingdom), Khaitan & Co. (India), Legance Avvocati (Italy), Eisenberger Herzog (Austria), Anorco (Panama), Pestalozzi (Switzerland), Allen & Gledhill LLP (Singapore), Kim & Chang (South Korea), Afridi & Angell (United Arab Emirates)