Led by Munich partner Nikolas Zirngibl international law firm Hogan Lovells advised BASF SE on combining its paper and water chemicals business with US specialty chemical company Solenis.

BASF contributes its paper and water chemicals business from its Performance Chemicals division with locations in Bradford and Grimsby (UK), Suffolk (Virginia, USA), Altamira (Mexico), Ankleshwar (India) and Kwinana (Australia) and approx. 1,300 employees into the new corporation. The combined entity generated in 2017 pro-forma sales of around 2.4 bn Euros.

The German chemical company will hold a 49 per cent share of the combined entity, the remaining 51 per cent of the shares will be held through a fund managed by Solenis' previous owner, private equity investor Clayton, Dubilier & Rice.

The transaction is subject of approval by the European Commission and other competition authorities.

Hogan Lovells for BASF SE
Munich
Dr. Nikolas Zirngibl (Lead Partner), Andreas Thun (Counsel), Dr. Peter Lang (Senior Associate), Thiemo Woertge, (Associate, Corporate/M&A);
Dr. Falk Loose (Counsel), Dr. Andreas Eggert (Senior Associate, Tax);

Hamburg
Dr. Marc Schweda (Partner), Dr. Jan-Christoph Rudowicz (Associate, Competition);
Christian Stoll (Partner, Intellectual Property);
Tobias Flasbarth (Counsel, Corporate /M&A);

Amsterdam
Johannes Buntjer (Partner), Leonie Huisman (Counsel), Aafke Pronk (Senior Associate), Daan Schuringa, Jamie Tang (Associates, Corporate);
Anton Louwinger (Partner, Tax);

Brussels
Dr. Falk Schöning (Partner), Gianni De Stefano (Counsel), May Lyn Yuen (Senior Associate), Jaime Rodriguez Toquero, David Dauchez, Samed Sahin, Sophie Vriezen (Associates, Competition);

Washington D.C.
Joseph G. Krauss (Partner), Suparna S Reddy, Angela Krulc (Associates, Competition).

BASF (Inhouse)
Dr. Michael Winter (Lead), Manohar Kamath, Stephan Purps, Dr. Sandra Könemann, Dr. Andreas Teiche, Dr. Jan Milus