On 17 March 2016, freenet AG signed a contract for the acquisition of a stake of 23.83 per cent in the Swiss telecommunications provider Sunrise Communications Group AG at a price of CHF 72.95 per share(appr. €714m in total). In addition, freenet AG will acquire up to 330,183 further shares (0.73 per cent of the share capital), in Sunrise Communications Group AG next month. The transaction is expected to be completed shortly. Sunrise is the largest private telecommunications provider in Switzerland and has more than 3 million customers in the mobile communications, landline, internet and digital television segments.

Hengeler Mueller advised freenet in an integrated team together with Swiss law firm Bär & Karrer. The Hengeler Mueller team includes partners Albrecht Conrad (M&
A/TMT), Stefan Richter (Corporate/M&A) (both Berlin), Alf-Henrik Bischke (Antitrust, Düsseldorf), Nikolaus Vieten (Finance, Frankfurt) as well as associates Tim Schlösser, Alexander Bekier (both M&A, Berlin), Daniela Böning (Finance, Frankfurt) and Johannes Holzwarth (Antitrust, Düsseldorf). The Bär & Karrer team included partners Dieter Dubs (M&A) and Thomas Rhode (Regulatory).