Schoenherr advised SEKISUI Chemical Co., Ltd. on high level investment into Central & Eastern Europe

The remaining 25% in rabmer Holding GmbH will be continued to be held by Ulrike Rabmer-Koller, a member of the Rabmer owner family. The purchase price has not been disclosed. Prior to closing of the transaction, the rabmer-Group divested of its general construction companies Rabmer Erdbewegungen u. Transporte GmbH and Rabmer Hochbau GmbH.

Founded 1963, the rabmer-Group is worldwide active with no-dig technologies for the examination, cleaning and repair of pipelines and containers. Additionally, the group offers innovative, trenchless solutions for the installation of new pipelines. The pipe-renewal business of the rabmer-Group employs around 180 employees and generated with its undertakings in Austria, Germany, Poland, Romania, Croatia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Ukraine and with the worldwide active technology company r.tec a turnover of approx. EUR 31 million (non-consolidated) in the last financial year.

The SEKISUI-group, with its headquarter in Osaka, Japan, is a world-leading in-frastructure group of companies, offering services and products in particular in the businesses of High Performance Plastics, Urban Infrastructure & Environmen-tal Products and Housing. SEKISUI employs roughly 20,000 people worldwide and reported a turnover of EU 8.7 billion in the last financial year.

Alexander Popp (partner, Corporate/M&A) noted "The transaction confirms the continuing interest of Asian investors in the CEE-region, where Schoenherr has achieved a significant transaction-record of, in particular, inbound transactions in 2011."

The Schoenherr M&A team consisted of partner Alexander Popp (Corporate/M&A) and attorney Thomas Kulnigg (Corporate/M&A). Associate Georgi Tsonchev (Corporate/M&A) supported the M&A team. The Schoenherr due diligence team was headed by Jonida Cepani (Corporate/M&A) and consisted of around 30 fee-earners in 6 jurisdictions, including Josef Bartos, Wendelin Ettmayer, Otakar Fiala, Krisztina Gergely, Martin Gracz, Pawel Halwa, Michaela Handrejchova, Eva Heil, Kinga Hetényi, Barbara Hieger, Iulia Ionescu, Nidal Karaman, Maciej Knowski, Petra Konecna, Stanislav Kovar, Jelena Lazic, Michal Muszynski, Marta Nawlatyna, Sorin Pavel, Dragos Plesuvescu, Amalia Pop, Mihai Radulescu, Bernd Rajal, Stefan Ruech, Christian Schumacher, Miriam Simsa, Gábor Spitz, Christina Toth, Georgi Tsonchev and Michael Woller.

Dr. Christoph Seseke of WTS Seseke France S.E.L.A.R.L. advised SEKISUI in relation to financial- and tax-matters.

The sellers were represented by Dr. Mag. Franz Mittendorfer, LL.M. (EMORY) and Dr. Immanuel Gerstner, LL.M. (NYU), MRICS of SCWP Schindhelm Austria.