Schoenherr advises VTB on Bulgartabac Privatisation
25 octombrie 2011 | JURIDICE.ro
Central European law firm Schoenherr has advised VTB Capital, the investment arm of VTB, Russia’s second largest bank, on the acquisition of a controlling stake in Bulgartabac Holding AD (Bulgartabac). The Bulgarian government officially launched the privatisation of Bulgartabac in May 2011 and the transaction was closed on 14 October 2011.
Bulgartabac is a leading independent cigarette manufacturer in Europe and one of the largest companies in Bulgaria. It has 35-40% share of the Bulgarian market and is expanding its presence in South-East Europe and the Middle East. Bulgaria has a long tradition of growing and processing tobacco as well as producing high quality cigarettes.
We consider this transaction a major success, especially given the significant interest of the Bulgarian government and public in it. The road to Bulgartabac’s privatisation, which started as far back as 1998, has been a long and often difficult one.
Christoph Lindinger and Alexandra Doytchinova (both M&A partners) led the Schoenherr team advising on the transaction. They were in charge of corporate and finance matters as well as the entire privatisation process, including negotiating and closing the privatisation contract. Ilko Stoyanov and Christoph Haid (both Competition partners) ran the Competition side of the deal.
„Schoenherr is proud to have played a major role in the only successful attempt to privatise this asset. The assignment and the result are a reflection of Schoenherr’s role as a corporate powerhouse in Bulgaria and the CEE region”, says Christoph Lindinger, Schoenherr’s managing partner.
Schoenherr has been involved in some of the biggest M&A deals in Bulgaria in the past few years. The firm advised German WAZ Media Group on the sale of the Bulgarian daily newspapers „Trud” and „24 Chasa” and the weekly „168 Chasa” to BG Printmedia and a group of private investors. It represented the Austrian Broadcasting Services (ORS) in the tender procedure for the acquisition of the National Unit Radio and TV Stations of the Bulgarian Telecommunication Company. The firm also advised the private equity group Advent International on the acquisition and restructuring of Bulgaria’s leading ceramic tile producer, KAI Group.
