DLA Piper has advised Cathay Capital Private Equity (Cathay Capital) on its first  acquisition in Germany, of WST Präzisionstechnik GmbH (WST) from a Finatem fund and the management of WST Germany.

Key members of WST's management will retain a minority stake in the company. Completion of the transaction is subject to regulatory approval.

WST, with headquarters in Löffingen and more than 400 employees at two production sites in Germany, is a long-established manufacturer of high precision turned parts for the automotive industry, as well as for customers in the fields of drive, mechanical, and hydraulic engineering.

Cathay Capital  is a leading international private equity firm, with more than EUR 1.2 billion in assets under management, focusing on cross-border investments, committed to supporting growth and international expansion of its portfolio companies from Europe, North America, and China. 

The acquisition is funded from Cathay Capital's EUR 500 million MidCap Fund and was led by partner Andreas Holtschneider out of the recently opened Munich office.
The DLA Piper team, led by partner Dominik Stuehler and senior associate Dr Kai Terstiege, included senior associate Silvio McMiken, associates Tobias Hoppe and Angélique Schraud (all Corporate, Munich), partner Dr Konrad Rohde and counsel Dr Raimund Behnes (both Tax, Frankfurt), partner Dr Thilo von Bodungen and associates Olga Blaszczyk and Kristin Hermann (all Commercial, Munich), partner Pascal Kremp, counsel Dr Annekatrin Veit and associate Marcel Huegel (all Employment, Munich). The team also comprised senior associate Barbara Rybka (Real Estate, Munich), partner Wolfram Distler, counsel Robert Hofbauer (both Finance, Frankfurt), partner Dr Michael Holzhaeuser and senior associate Semin O (both Antitrust, Frankfurt), partner Sarmad Haidar (Corporate, Paris) as well as partners Charles-Antoine del Valle and Guillaume Valois (both Tax, Paris).