Hengeler Mueller advises KKR on investment in DATAGROUP

Dante Beteiligungen SE, a holding company controlled by investment funds, vehicles, and accounts advised and managed by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co L.P. and its affiliates (“KKR”) has signed an investment agreement with DATAGROUP SE (“DATAGROUP”), a leading German IT service provider.

As part of the transaction, Dante Beteiligungen SE intends to launch a public purchase offer to the shareholders of DATAGROUP.

Concurrently with the signing of the investment agreement, DATAGROUP’s founder Max H.-H. Schaber and his family holding company, HHS Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH („HHS“), and Dante Lux HoldCo S.à r.l., the indirect parent of Dante Beteiligungen SE, have entered into a strategic partnership and signed agreements pursuant to which HHS will indirectly transfer its existing 54.4% stake in the registered share capital of DATAGROUP to Dante Beteiligungen SE. This transfer will occur outside the public purchase offer and result in long-term joint control by Dante Lux HoldCo S.à r.l. and HHS as indirect 50:50 shareholders of Dante Beteiligungen SE following the completion of the public purchase offer.

Hengeler Mueller advises KKR as lead counsel on the transaction.

Hengeler Mueller-team for KKR

Corporate/M&A: Christian Schwandtner, Martin Ulbrich (both lead), Oda Goetzke (all partner), Matthias Cloppenburg (counsel), Jan Schülting, Okan Isikay, Johannes Fütterer (all Düsseldorf), David Negenborn (Munich, all senior associate), Leonard Nielen, Grigory Bekritsky, Jasmin Atta-Schumacher, Tim Jaeger, Oleg Goldschmidt, Julia Redbrake (all Düsseldorf), Krzysztof Paluch (Berlin, all associate),

IP/IT: Matthias Rothkopf (partner), Kim Josefine Weisser (senior associate), Milan Zmrzlak (associate, all Düsseldorf),

Antitrust: Philipp Otto Neideck (partner), Anja Balitzki (counsel, both Düsseldorf),

Regulatory: Michael Schramm (partner), Anouk Ludwig (associate, both Düsseldorf),

Employment: Christian Hoefs (partner, Frankfurt), Kira Fritsche (senior associate, Düsseldorf)

Tax: Sebastian Heinrichs (counsel, Frankfurt),

Financing: Pascal Brandt (senior associate), Tobias Rapp (associate, both Frankfurt).