Noerr has advised Alteri Investors on the takeover of the mail-order company Walz GmbH. Alteri, an investor focusing on the retail trade, has acquired this mail-order group which is among the leading specialist mail-order companies in Europe. Alteri is a joint venture funded by the private equity fund Apollo, which specialises in debt and equity financing in the retail industry.

The Walz group consists of several internationally known brands, including Baby-Walz, one of the largest suppliers of baby products in Europe. Alteri is also taking over the well-known mail-order and e-commerce companies Die Moderne Hausfrau, walzvital, and Mirabeau. With this transaction the Walz group is being separated from the Munich-based Puccini Holding, which acquired the Walz group from the Arcandor group in 2010.

The Noerr team led by Professor Christian Pleister provided comprehensive advice to Alteri in the course of the transaction and is now intensively advising the investor on implementing the recapitalisation of the Walz group. Prior to the takeover, Alteri had acquired loan receivables of ca. EUR 95 million from a consortium of banks. The EU Commission has already approved the purchase by Alteri.

Advisors to Alteri Investors/Apollo Global Management: Noerr LLP

Professor Christian Pleister (lead, Corporate/M&A, Frankfurt/Berlin), Dr. Sabine Klett (Corporate/M&A, Munich), Dr. Nikolai Warneke (Financing, Frankfurt)

Associates: Nicole Heider (Employment & Pensions, Munich), Florian-Felix Marquardt (Tax), Philipp Takjas (Restructuring), Pascal Schumacher (Anti-Trust, all Berlin), Dr. Christian Schützler (Corporate/M&A), Dr. Torsten Wehrhahn (Financing, both Frankfurt)