Bulgaria: Schoenherr advises Inchcape on acquisition of Silver Star

Inchcape, listed on the London Stock Exchange (INCH.L) and headquartered in London, has agreed to acquire Silver Star, the official Distributor of Mercedes-Benz passenger vehicles and Daimler trucks and buses in Bulgaria. The acquisition is part of Inchcape's strategy to expand its global distribution footprint and strengthen its presence in Europe.

Schoenherr acted as lead counsel to Inchcape throughout the transaction, including legal due diligence, transaction structuring, negotiations and securing the necessary regulatory approvals, including merger control clearance from the European Commission and foreign direct investment (FDI) screening in Bulgaria.

Inchcape plc is a leading global automotive distributor operating in over 40 markets across six continents. The group partners with some of the world's most iconic automotive brands, providing a range of distribution, retail and after-sales services.

Silver Star is a leading automotive distributor in Bulgaria, specialising in the distribution and retail of Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

The Schoenherr M&A team advising on the transaction was led by Alexandra Doytchinova (Partner) and included Katerina Kaloyanova-Toshkova (Attorney at Law), who led the SPA negotiation, and Ema Stoyanova (Associate).

The competition and regulatory workstream was led by Volker Weiss (Partner) and included Yoana Strateva (Attorney at Law) and Alexandru Caprau (Associate).