Charles Russell Speechlys acts as UK and French counsel for Hamburg-based Joachim Herz Foundation on the acquisition of a minority stake in Weidmüller Holding AG & Co. KG.
Charles Russell Speechlys acted as UK and French counsel for Hamburg-based Joachim Herz Foundation on the acquisition of a minority stake in Weidmüller Holding AG & Co. KG, a global leader in the areas of electronic connection technology, industrial automation and digitalization as well as the industrial Internet of Things. The transaction was led by German counsel Flick Gocke Schaumburg.
The Joachim Herz Foundation is one of Germany’s largest foundations and promotes education, science and research through projects that are intended to secure the future viability of society. This investment of around 20 percent by the Foundation specifically backs a tech company whose innovative solutions seek to make a meaningful difference in society and the environment. The move aligns with the Foundation's strategy to invest its capital in businesses that support the Foundation's long-term objectives.
The Weidmüller Group is based in Detmold, Germany. Weidmüller had sales of approximately EUR 1.1 billion in 2023, with around 6,000 employees based in some 80 countries worldwide.
Daniel Rosenberg, Corporate Partner, commented:
“We were delighted to have supported this important German not-for-profit foundation on a large cross-border transaction, which allowed us to work alongside our Paris team in addition to our UK involvement. The deal sits nicely in our technology sweet spot while aligning so well with our values and goals surrounding sustainability.”
The Charles Russell Speechlys team was led by Corporate Partner Daniel Rosenberg and Senior Associate Nathan Lightman. The wider UK deal team included Anna Schwarze (Corporate), Adam Kyte (Immigration), Isobel Goodman (Employment) and Jessi Tamber (Real Estate & Disputes). The Paris team included Thibaut Caharel, Guillaume Ferrand, and Emma Fiorucci (Corporate), Frédéric Jeannin and Victoria La Scola (Litigation), and Kim Campion and Lisandre Bédard-Venne (Employment).
