Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW”) advised the shareholders of Germany’s Lucht Probst Associates Group (“LPA”) on its acquisition by private equity investor Motive Partners. Both parties have agreed not to disclose the terms of the transaction.
Headquartered in Frankfurt and founded in 1999, LPA is a leading financial technology solutions provider with a focus on capital markets and wealth management. It offers a broad suite of software packages to optimise processes and enable regulatory compliance, as well as providing strategic advice and implementation services. LPA has experienced significant revenue and profitability growth in recent years, and now employs 200 specialists across Germany and in its subsidiaries in Europe and Asia.
Based in London and New York, Motive Partners is a sector specialist investment firm that provides the expertise, connectivity and capabilities to create long-term value in financial technology companies.
LPA were advised on all the legal and tax aspects of the transaction by a cross-border WFW team led by Hamburg Corporate Partner and Germany Practice Head Marcus Bechtel. Marcus was supported by a corporate team comprising Frankfurt Partner Christoph Naumann and Managing Associates Torge Rademacher and Tanja Mado and Associates Florian Leonhard and Cathrin Gelhaus in Hamburg, and Frankfurt Senior Associate Jan Henrik Pesek. The tax team was led by Hamburg Tax Partner Verena Scheibe, assisted by Tax Managing Associates Nicolaj Faigle and Jörg Walzer. Regulatory advice was provided by Hamburg Partner Christine Bader, while London Corporate Partner Mark Tooke advised on the English law aspects of the transaction. Hamburg-based Böger Knittel PartmbB Steuerberatungsgesellschaft also assisted LPA on tax and compliance related matters.
Marcus commented: “We’re pleased to have been able to provide LPA with the comprehensive legal, tax and merger control expertise needed to close this transaction swiftly and smoothly in collaboration with all the other advisers and parties involved. This is an important acquisition that will ensure Motive Partners will leverage its deep networks and experience in the US, UK and Asia-Pacific to help expand LPA’s footprint in those key markets. WFW has advised LPA on all their legal and tax structuring matters since their foundation, and we are honoured that they also opted for us to advise them on this highly strategic transaction which demonstrates our growing reputation in Germany for cross-border M&A expertise”.
WFW Germany was ranked 11th by deal count in Mergermarket’s H1 2018 legal advisors league tables, moving up from 32nd in H1 2017. Earlier this year, it was also ranked 9th by deal count in Mergermarket’s Q1 2018 Global and Regional M&A Report, the first time the firm has achieved a top 20 ranking for Germany from MergerMarket.
