Baker McKenzie advises Z&H on selling shares to VR Equitypartner
Baker McKenzie has advised previous sole shareholder evotreex on selling its indirectly held equity interests in the German Zimmer & Hälbig to VR Equitypartner as well as on evotreex’s partial reinvestment into buyer. As a result of the transaction, VR Equitypartner has acquired a significant minority stake in Z&H, a provider of planning, installation and maintenance of refrigeration, air condition and ventilation technology. In addition to VR Equitypartner, the three managing directors Michael Böhm, Achim Henseler and Heiko Panhorst as well as the industry expert Carsten Voigtländer are investing alongside VR Equitypartner.
The aim of the new partnership is to increase organic growth, driven in particular by energy-related refurbishments, as well as to grow inorganically with the help of a targeted buy and build strategy. Founded in Bielefeld in 1974, Z&H counts with around 250 employees at its sites in Bielefeld, Leipzig, Cologne and Osnabrück, Z&H most recently generated sales of over EUR 65 million.
Baker McKenzie has advised the seller in all legal aspects of the transaction. The Switzerland team was led by Alexander Fischer (partner, m&a, pictured) together with Vinzenz Sutter (associate, m&a) and Jon Marcus Meese (partner, m&a, from the German office) and was made up of the following colleagues from the Swiss office: Eva-Maria Strobel (partner, Intellectual Property & Technology Law), Matthias Trautmann (counsel, m&a), Mario Kumschick (partner, tax), Ramon Tissafi (associate, real estate & property development law), Susanne Liebel-Kotz (associate, tax), Fabienne Bretscher (associate, IP & Technology law).
The German team was composed by Tino Marz, Eva Kriechbaumer, Thomas Gierath, Matthias Toeke, Andreas Schulz, Matthias Koehler, Harasch Yakubi, Simone Rieken, Nadine Uhrner, Viktoria Ritter, Anna-Lena Busser.
