DLA Piper represents James Hardie Industries, a global fiber cement siding manufacturer, in its acquisition of the German holding company of Fermacell GmbH, a fiber gypsum board manufacturer. The deal is valued at approximately US$549 million and is expected to close in February 2018.

The acquisition provides James Hardie with a platform for expanding its fiber cement business into the European market. DLA Piper is also representing James Hardie in its related financing transaction with HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. and HSBC Bank plc.

The DLA Piper team representing James Hardie is led by partners Andrew Weil (Chicago) and Benjamin Parameswaran (Hamburg). The US-based team includes partners Jamie Knox, Paolo Morante (both of New York) and Nate McKitterick (San Francisco); and associates Erin Kirchner, Abbey Warkentin (both of Chicago) and Jesse Kirsch (New York). The international team includes partners Thilo von Bodungen (Munich), Kai Bodenstedt (Hamburg), Burkhard Führmeyer (Frankfurt), Alexandra Kamerling (London), Teresa Zueco (Madrid) and Ludger Giesberts (Cologne); counsel Thilo Streit (Cologne), Carlos Robles y Zepf, Fabian Klein (both of Frankfurt), Silke Goschler, Susanne Weckbach (both of Munich), Christoph Stoecker, Isaschar Nicolaysen, Sebastian Decker and Henriette Norda (all of Hamburg); and associates Kristin Herrmann (Munich), Liane Bednarz, Diedrich Schröder and Sophie von Mandelsloh (all of Hamburg).