DLA Piper has advised Australian ASX listed company Domino's Pizza Enterprises Ltd. (Domino's) on the acquisition of Hallo Pizza Group from its sole owner Mr Axel Fassbach.

The acquisition is carried out via a joint venture , in which Domino's holds a 2/3 share. The minority joint venture partner is the UK listed company Domino's Pizza Group plc. (DPG).The transaction is expected to close - after merger clearance - in early 2018. The purchase price for Hallo Pizza will amount to EUR 32 million on a cash and debt free basis.

Domino's is the largest pizza delivery chain in Australia and also the largest franchisor of the Domino's Pizza brand in the world with more than 2,000 stores in Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Japan and Germany.

After Domino's entry into the German market with the acquisition of Joey's Pizza Group at the beginning of 2016, on which DLA Piper also advised, Domino's acquisition of Hallo Pizza Group will further strengthen Domino’s Pizza Deutschland’s leading position and increase the Domino’s store count in Germany from 209 to approximately 300 – 340 following brand conversions.

Hallo Pizza is the second largest independent pizza chain in Germany with a comprehensive national footprint of 170 stores throughout Germany. The business also includes a wholly-owned procurement and logistics business, Chrisa, which operates 3 commissaries across Germany.

The core DLA Piper team comprised counsel Cristina Helena Villafrade (overall transaction lead), partner Dr Benjamin Parameswaran, counsel Sebastian Decker and associate Sophie von Mandelsloh (all Corporate/M&A Hamburg).

The extended DLA Piper team comprised partner Dr Thilo von Bodungen and counsel Silke Goschler (both Commercial, Munich), partner Dr Konrad Rohde and counsel Dr Raimund Behnes (both Tax, Frankfurt), partner Dr Kai Bodenstedt and counsel Dr Henriette Norda (both Employment, Hamburg), partner Dr Jan Joachim Dreyer and senior associate Dr Gregor Schroll (both Competition Law, Cologne), senior associate Johanna Leitzke-Schmidt (Real Estate, Munich) as well as associates Diedrich Schröder and Dr Johann-Friedrich Fleisch (all Corporate, Hamburg).