Linklaters has advised SDIC Zhonglu Fruit Juice on the acquisition of the Polish juice producer Appol Group from its Polish shareholders, marking SDIC's first investment in the Polish FMCG sector.

SDIC Zhonglu Fruit Juice is a company listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange forming part of the Chinese SDIC State Development & Investment Corporation, the largest Chinese state-owned investment holding company. Appol Group has been present on the Polish and European markets for over 30 years and is recognized as among the leading apple juice producers in Europe. It owns and operates three key production plants located in Poland. The acquisition is considered significant for SDIC Zhonglu Fruit Juice, marking a key step in the company's development on the European markets.

The Linklaters Warsaw and Beijing teams provided comprehensive legal advice and support to SDIC Zhonglu Fruit Juice, covering all legal aspects of the deal. The Warsaw team was managed by Tomasz Zorawski (partner, corporate) and Klaudia Krolak (managing associate, corporate) and supported by Magdalena Szewczyk (associate, corporate), Maciej Ficinski (junior associate, corporate) and other lawyers from the corporate, competition, employment, projects and IP practices, as well as Linklaters' Beijing office. The transaction is subject to several conditions precedent with completion expected in 1H 2018.