Gleiss Lutz has advised major shareholder and CEO Alexander Margaritoff in connection with Tocos Beteiligung GmbH’s hostile takeover bid for Europe’s leading wine sellers Hawesko Holding AG. 

In November 2014 Tocos made a hostile takeover bid for Hawesko AG. After weeks of trying to find alternative solutions, Alexander Margaritoff has now stated that he will be standing down as chairman as of 30 June 2015 and sell his shares in the company. Alexander Margaritoff cites insurmountable differences of opinion over future strategy and management style between himself and Tocos Beteiligung GmbH owner and Hawesko Holding AG supervisory board member Detlev Meyer as the reason for his decision to exit the company, saying there was no perspective for working together towards common objectives. After taking over the family business with a staff of just ten back in 1981, Alexander Margaritoff grew the operation, which also includes Jacques’ Wein-Depot, to Europe’s leading wine sellers with a turnover of almost half a billion euros. With Margaritoff at the helm, Hawesko’s sales and earnings have increased by an annual average of 15% over the last 30 years. 

Gleiss Lutz advised Alexander Margaritoff and his holding company in connection with the takeover bid and, in particular, the negotiations with potential investors.

The Gleiss Lutz team consisted of: Dr. Christian Cascante (partner, Stuttgart), Dr. Rüdiger Zeller, Dr. Jörn Wöbke (both partners, Hamburg, all lead, all Corporate/M&A), Dr. Ingo Brinker (partner, Antitrust, Munich), Dr. Stefan Lingemann (partner, Employment, Hamburg/Berlin), Dr. Johann Wagner (partner, Tax, Hamburg), Dr. Thorsten Gayk (Counsel), Dr. Christian Mencke (both Hamburg), Nico Holtkamp, Dr. Markus Martin (both Stuttgart, all Corporate/M&A).