Hengeler Mueller advises Putsch on sale of the automotive business of KEIPER RECARO to Johnson Controls

On 30 December 2010, Putsch GmbH & Co. KG, holding company for the Keiper Recaro Group, signed an agreement by which it has sold the automotive business of KEIPER RECARO to Johnson Controls. Accordingly, Keiper (based in Kaiserslautern, Germany), a world leader in developing and manufacturing components for vehicle seats, metal seat structures and complete seats for commercial vehicles, and the RECARO automotive division (Kirchheim/Teck) will be acquired with the exception of KEIPER’s business in Brazil by Johnson Controls, a global leader in automotive car interiors and electronics. The consummation of the transaction is still subject to approval by the antitrust authorities.

Hengeler Mueller has advised Putsch GmbH & Co. KG on this transaction. The Hengeler Mueller team was led by partner Peter Weyland (M&A, Frankfurt) and included partners Frank Burmeister (M&A), Horst Satzky (Competition), Matthias Scheifele (Tax) (all Frankfurt), Wolfgang Kellenter (IP, Düsseldorf), Hans-Joachim Liebers (Labour, Frankfurt) and Jan D. Bonhage (Public Law, Berlin) as well as associates Björn Bork (M&A), Sebastian Max Hauser (Competition), Gunther Wagner (Tax) (all Frankfurt), Arne Lambrecht, Patrick H. Wilkening (both IP, Düsseldorf) and Peter Wehner (Labour, Frankfurt).