Bär & Karrer advises Mankel family on dormakaba ownership simplification

Bär & Karrer advises the Mankel family, former owners of Dorma, as dormakaba Holding (SIX: DOKA) has announced steps to simplify the group’s ownership structure, to be put forward at the company’s upcoming annual general meeting.

Under the terms agreed between the Mankel family shareholders and dormakaba, the Mankel family’s stake in the operating business will be transferred to dormakaba through a contribution in kind valued at approximately CHF 2.13 billion.

Once the transaction closes, the Mankel family shareholders will hold 52.09% of dormakaba’s outstanding shares and voting rights, while the Kaba family shareholders will hold 9.05%. The current pool agreement and other arrangements between the Mankel family, the Kaba family and dormakaba, which set out various governance rights, will terminate upon closing. Following termination of the pool agreement, neither the Mankel and Kaba families collectively nor the Kaba family independently will continue to constitute a group for the purposes of Swiss disclosure law.

Legal team

The Bär & Karrer team advising on the deal includes Rolf Watter and Linus Zweifel, both from the firm’s public M&A practice.

Pictured: Rolf Watter