Clifford Chance

Clifford Chance Badea advised US-based private equity firm J.C. Flowers & Co. on the acquisition of Piraeus Bank Romania

Clifford Chance Badea has advised J.C. Flowers & Co. in relation to the acquisition of Piraeus Bank Romania by funds advised by J.C. Flowers & Co., a deal marking the American investor's entry on the local market.

The complex deal involved a mixed team of M&A and Banking & Finance lawyers coordinated by managing partner Daniel Badea and counsel Loredana Ralea. Mădălina Rachieru-Postolache (partner), Andreea Șișman (counsel), Radu Costin and Gabriel Toma (associates) had important contributions throughout the process. The team also included, among others, Senior Associates Diana Crângașu and Lavinia Nucu, as well as lawyers Yolanda Ghiță-Blujdescu, Claudia Grosu, and Mihnea Niculescu. Nick Fletcher, Of Counsel, advised on English law aspects.

The Bucharest office of the global law firm provided support from the beginning of the project, starting with the due diligence phase, and followed by advice on regulatory aspects, the structuring and the negotiation process, the drafting and signing of the deal documents.

"The year ends with a milestone-deal for the local banking industry, confirming the market's potential to attract high-profile American investors," Daniel Badea, Clifford Chance Badea Managing Partner, said. "We are honoured and delighted to have advised one of the most important American investment funds on its first deal in Romania".

Loredana Ralea, counsel with the M&A practice of Clifford Chance Badea, added: "It's been an extremely complex process on a highly-regulated market, which, from the very beginning, required deep industry and business-specific knowledge, as well as good understanding of the compliance and regulatory requirements. The entire Clifford Chance Badea team has worked intensely throughout the deal, covering the legal and regulatory components, but also supporting the J.C. Flowers team in their strategic approach of the deal. We are, also, delighted by the collaboration with the excellent team of Unicredit Corporate Finance, who covered the investment banking aspects of the deal".

The deal is to be finalized following the approval of the National Bank of Romania and, respectively, the Greek-based Hellenic Financial Stability Fund (HFSF).

Clifford Chance ranks number 1 among international law firms, according to Chambers Global Top 30 2016, and has a solid and integrated Corporate M&A practice. Last year, its portfolio gain recognition for the firm as the European M&A Legal Adviser of the Year at the MergerMarket Awards.

Milestone M&A projects recently advised by Clifford Chance Badea include:

• Advising the independent European private equity firm Vitruvian Partners in relation to its acquisition of a 30% stake in BitDefender, a leading global cyber security technology company (December 2017)
  
• Advising EBRD in relation to it acquiring an equity stake in Black Sea Oil & Gas, an independent oil and gas company based in Romania (November 2017)
  
• Advising the shareholder consortium on the sale of EDS Romania, the local subsidiary of Euro-Druckservice (EDS) group, a leading printing business in Central and Eastern Europe, to German investment company Deutsche Private Equity Management III GmbH (November 2017)
  
• Advising EBRD in relation to its becoming a shareholder in Agricover Holding, following an investment of RON 32 million (EUR 7 million equivalent) in the company’s capital for a subscription to a 13% stake (October 2017)
• Advising sovereign fund China Investment Corporation on the acquisition of pan-European logistics operator Logicor from American fund Blackstone (June 2017)
  
• Advising BC Partners, one of the final bidders for the acquisition of a 100% stake in retailer Profi – the largest private equity investment in Romania (2016)
  
• Advising NEPI in its merger with investment fund Rockcastle, which resulted into the largest CEE retail real estate company, and one of the top in continental Europe. The deal was coordinated by the Bucharest office (2016)
• Advising a private equity fund in relation to the attempted acquisition of SABMiller operations in Central and Eastern Europe (2016)
  
• Advising Affidea group in relation to the acquisition of Brasov-based Hiperdia chain from SouthEast Europe Equity Fund II (managed by Bedminster Capital Management) and Harkstede Holding (2016)
• Advising private equity fund Abris Capital Partners on its 4th major acquisition in Romania of waste-management business Green Group, the largest integrated recycling group in South-Eastern Europe (2016)
  
• Advising CEE-focused private equity fund Innova Capital in connection with the sale of Provus, a Romanian leading payment processing and technological service provider, to Wirecard, and in connection with the sale of La Fantana, the leading provider of water coolers and coffee machines, to previous owners - private equity fund Oresa Ventures (2016)
  
• Advising CBRE Global Investors in connection with the sale of a retail portfolio of 11 properties in Romania, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary (including the Felicia commercial centre in Iasi) to CPI Property Group (2016)