Schoenherr advised AG FOODS Group ("AG FOODS") and Cooperatief Avallon MBO U.A. ("Cooperatief Avallon") on the settlement of minority shareholders' disputes and on a subsequent management buyout.

"We were excited to support both companies in the complex matter of the minority shareholders' disputes in four separate jurisdictions," said Schoenherr corporate m&a partner Vladimir Cizek. "AG FOODS benefitted from the involvement of Cooperatief Avallon over several years and the management buyout was completed in a satisfactory fashion for both parties."

In addition to the settlement of several minority shareholders' claims, the transaction consisted of the exit of these shareholders from AG FOODS. Schoenherr also advised the existing management on a buyout of Cooperatief Avallon (a majority shareholder in AG FOODS), including on the acquisition financing with Czech financial institute Komercni banka, a.s.

AG FOODS is a Czech company that develops, produces and distributes instant drink mixtures. It also focuses on the sale and service of mixtures preparation technology for the food and HoReCa industry. Cooperatief Avallon is part of the Avallon Polish investment fund, which promotes the involvement of managers in equity transactions. AG FOODS was part of the EUR 50m Avallon MBO Fund I.

The Schoenherr team was led by Vladimir Cizek (partner, Prague; corporate/m&a) and consisted of Jitka Kadlcikova (attorney at law, Prague; corporate/m&a), Natalie Rosova (attorney at law, Prague; banking, finance & capital markets), Helena Hangler (attorney at law, Prague; labour & employment), Denisa Assefova (attorney at law, Prague; IP, IT & Life sciences), Rudolf Bicek (associate, Prague; corporate/m&a), Katarzyna Terlecka (partner, Warsaw; corporate/m&a), Sona Hekelova (partner, Bratislava; banking, finance & capital markets) and Gabor Kordovanyi (attorney at law, Budapest; corporate/m&a).