Gleiss Lutz advised the English INSPECS Group PLC (Bath, Great Britain) on its acquisition of Nuremberg-based Eschenbach Holding GmbH. The primary sellers were various funds advised by Equistone Partners Europe. The transaction is subject to approval by the authorities.
The INSPECS Group is a leading designer and manufacturer of optical frames that are sold under ten licensed brands in 84 countries. With 1,400 employees, the company operates six production facilities of its own and maintains eight sites around the world.
Eschenbach is a leading, global eyewear manufacturer with its headquarters in Nuremberg, Germany. The company has two departments; the Eyewear department focuses on the design and sale of eyeglass frames, whereas the Optics department focuses on the design, manufacture and sale of special optical products. The Eschenbach Group generated worldwide turnover of around 143 million euros in 2019.
With more than 140 transactions, Equistone Partners Europe is a leading and one of the most active European equity investors. The investments are focused on established medium-sized enterprises with an enterprise value of between 50 and 500 million euros.
The following team of Gleiss Lutz lawyers advised on the transaction: Dr. Thomas Menke (partner, Corporate/M&A, lead), Dr. Jacob von Andreae (partner, Public Law, both Düsseldorf), Dr. Alexander Molle (partner, IP/IT, Berlin), Dr. Reimund Marc von der Höh, Dr. Fabian Mumme, Friedrich Baumgärtel, Julian Jantze (all Corporate/M&A), Mara Kerstan-Klie (Employment), Aylin Hoffs (Public Law, all Düsseldorf), Dr. Iris Benedikt-Buckenleib (Competition/Antitrust, Munich), Dr. Stefan Mayer (partner), Dr. Ocka Stumm (both Tax), Dr. Jan-Alexander Lange, Jana Pinto Escaleira (both Finance, all Frankfurt), Dr. Enno Burk (counsel), Dr. Christina Fröb (Healthcare), Simon Clemens Wegmann (Data Protection), Jan Felix Hinrichs, Dr. Felix Müller (both IP/IT, all Berlin).
Macfarlanes advised on issues relating to English law (lead Harry Coghill, Corporate/M&A).
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