Czech Republic/Hungary/Poland/Slovakia: Schoenherr advises AG FOODS and Coöperatief Avallon on settlement of minority shareholders' disputes and management buyout

"We were excited to support both companies in the complex matter of the minority shareholders' disputes in four separate jurisdictions," said Schoenherr corporate m&a partner Vladimír Čížek. "AG FOODS benefitted from the involvement of Coöperatief Avallon over several years and the management buyout was completed in a satisfactory fashion for both parties."

In addition to the settlement of several minority shareholders' claims, the transaction consisted of the exit of these shareholders from AG FOODS. Schoenherr also advised the existing management on a buyout of Coöperatief Avallon (a majority shareholder in AG FOODS), including on the acquisition financing with Czech financial institute Komerční banka, a.s.

AG FOODS is a Czech company that develops, produces and distributes instant drink mixtures. It also focuses on the sale and service of mixtures preparation technology for the food and HoReCa industry. Coöperatief Avallon is part of the Avallon Polish investment fund, which promotes the involvement of managers in equity transactions. AG FOODS was part of the EUR 50m Avallon MBO Fund I.

The Schoenherr team was led by Vladimír Čížek (partner, Prague; corporate/m&a) and consisted of Jitka Kadlčíková (attorney at law, Prague; corporate/m&a), Natálie Rosová (attorney at law, Prague; banking, finance & capital markets), Helena Hangler (attorney at law, Prague; labour & employment), Denisa Assefová (attorney at law, Prague; IP, IT & Life sciences), Rudolf Bicek (associate, Prague; corporate/m&a), Katarzyna Terlecka (partner, Warsaw; corporate/m&a), Soňa Hekelová (partner, Bratislava; banking, finance & capital markets) and Gábor Kordoványi (attorney at law, Budapest; corporate/m&a).