Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati has advised Graz-based disposal and recycling company Saubermacher AG in connection with its joint venture with French company Veolia Environment S.A. Veolia was represented by Binder Groesswang, with Hogan Lovells advising the company on merger approval matters.
The joint venture will provide professional waste disposal for businesses and consumers in Austria, using an app that connects customers and suppliers.
According to CHSH, "by collaborating with partners as part of a franchise system, the goal is to develop [the business side of the service] into the leading disposal company for construction waste.”
Through its minority shareholding in the joint venture -- Pink Robin GmbH -- international environmental group Veolia is entering into a strategic partnership regarding the digitalization of the waste disposal business and is now bringing the platform to the German market for the first time. Fifty waste disposal partners are already part of the business service network in Austria.
According to Binder Groesswang, "the chosen joint venture structure will, at the highest holding level, be headquartered in Austria, with a minority interest held by Veolia. In the individual countries, franchise agreements are being concluded with local joint venture companies, which will be controlled by Veolia." The firm's press release also states that "with Veolia as a strong European partner with a global presence, 175,000 employees and EUR 25 billion in turnover, the business model, which was initiated by Saubermacher in Austria, will be rolled out first in Germany and subsequently in other countries."
Closing took place on June 26, 2018.
The CHSH team was headed by Partner Albert Birkner and included Partner Benedikt Spiegelfeld and Associate Nadine Leitner.
The Binder Groesswang team was led by Partner Andreas Hable and Senior Associate Christian Zwick, and it included Senior Associate Claudia Fochtmann and Associate Daniel Schmidt for corporate issues; Partner Ivo Rungg and Counsel Hellmuth Buchroitner on IP, Partner Horst Lukanec and Senior Associate Sabine Apfl-Trompeter on employment law, and Partner Johannes Barbist and Associate Regina Kroll on regulatory matters.
