Clifford Chance

Clifford Chance advises MiddleGround on its acquisition of Zoerkler

Global law firm Clifford Chance has advised US headquartered private equity firm MiddleGround Capital (“MiddleGround”) on its acquisition of Zoerkler GmbH & Co KG (“Zoerkler”) an Austria-based manufacturer and supplier of high-performance transmission components for the aerospace & defense, automotive, rail, and industrial industries.

Zoerkler will be integrated into MiddleGround’s portfolio company, Xtrac, a leading designer, manufacturer, and supplier of high-performance transmissions for top-level professional motorsport and specialist high-performance automotive applications. Zoerkler will enhance Xtrac’s product line and expand its offerings into highly attractive markets, whilst ensuring focus on serving long standing core motorsport and high performance automotive customers.

Clifford Chance also advised MiddleGround on its acquisition of Xtrac in 2023, which marked MiddleGround's first investment in Europe, as well as its acquisitions of Helix and Stemmer Imaging in 2024.

The multidisciplinary Clifford Chance team was led by private equity M&A partner Neil Barlow, with support from senior associate Mark Inkester and associates Louise Murray, Megan Hodges and Cristina Rice. Others in the team included finance partner Nick Kinnersley and associate Natalie Bennett and antitrust partner Sue Hinchliffe and associate Rani Chowdhary.