Austria: Schoenherr advises ATU on sale of Austrian business to Lucky Car

Schoenherr advised ATU comprehensively on the drafting and negotiation of the assignment agreement, the renegotiation of the lease agreements regarding the branches, the reorganisation under employment law and – with the support of Fokus Rechtsanwälte (Philipp Wetter) – on the necessary balance sheet restructuring. The closing of the transfer of the shares in A.T.U Auto-Teile-Unger GmbH and the limited partner's share in A.T.U Auto-Teile-Unger GmbH & Co KG took place on 31 January 2024.

ATU was founded in 1985 and is today the market leader in Germany with a unique combination of automotive service and store for parts and accessories. Headquartered in Weiden, ATU operates more than 550 branches in Germany and 25 branches in Austria. The more than 9,000 employees contribute to an annual turnover of approx. EUR 1bln, of which about 370 employees based in Austria generate around EUR 36m. ATU has been part of the European market leader Mobivia since 2016.

Lucky Car has more than 40 branches in Austria and one location in Switzerland, making it the largest independent garage chain in Austria. It is a reliable partner and swift problem solver for all automotive repairs, both inside and outside the vehicle.

The Schoenherr team was led by Peter Madl (counsel) and Michael Marschall (partner) who were supported by Roland Misic (associate), Florian Weisgram (associate), Stefan Kühteubl (partner), Karin Pusch (counsel) and Marco Thorbauer (partner).

Lucky Car was advised by Binder Grösswang Rechtsanwälte GmbH (Philipp Kapl and Matija Bernat).