The British packaging producer DS Smith has proposed to acquire Duropack, a Central European packaging group headquartered in Vienna, for around EUR 300 mn from the investor One Equity Partners (OEP). International law firm WOLF THEISS has advised the buy-side as local counsel in all aspects of the legal due diligence and in all aspects of the transaction under Austrian, Croatian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Serbian and Macedonian law.

The British packaging producer DS Smith has proposed to acquire Duropack, a Central European packaging group headquartered in Vienna, for around EUR 300 mn from the investor One Equity Partners (OEP). International law firm WOLF THEISS has advised the buy-side as local counsel in all aspects of the legal due diligence and in all aspects of the transaction under Austrian, Croatian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Serbian and Macedonian law.

DS Smith Plc, the leading provider of recycled corrugated packaging in Europe, has announced the proposed acquisition of the Duropack business for approximately €300 million. Duropack, a recycled corrugated board packaging business with market-leading positions across South Eastern Europe, is being acquired from CP Group 2 BV, a One Equity Partners subsidiary. Duropack has number one or two market positions in many of the geographies in which it operates and, combined with DS Smith’s existing operations in Hungary, Slovakia and Austria, will have a leading position across South Eastern Europe. The acquisition is subject to competition clearance, which is expected in calendar Q2, with completion shortly thereafter.

The Vienna headquartered international law firm WOLF THEISS, alongside the inernational law firm Allen & Overy acting as lead counsel, advised DS Smith on all aspects of the transaction under Austrian, Croatian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Serbian and Macedonian law. Under the lead of coporate partner Dieter Spranz and assisted by associates Clara Gordon and Jiayan Zhu worked partners Matthias Unterrieder (employment law) and Gabriele Etzl (Real Estate), partner Georg Kresbach (IP) with associate Edina Dolamic, senior associate Wolfram Schachinger (public law) and associate Mario Laimbruber in Vienna. Partner Luka Tadic-Colic advised with senior associate Vedrana Ivekovic, Silvije Cvjetko and Dalibor Valincic as well as associates Ana Grubesic, Ivan Zornada and Luka Colic on all legal aspects in Croatia; Counsel Naida Custovic with senior associate Saruc Jasmin and the associates Lajla Hastor and Nevena Jevremovic in Bsonia. In Slovenia, Partners Markus Bruckmüller and Laura Struc with Teja Blazic, Neja Nastran, Tjasa Golobic and Smole Matevz. Partner Anna Rizova with Julia Haralampieva, Kebaka Kleytman, Gergina Kyoseva, Katerina Novakova and Dessislava Iordanova in Bulgaria. And Bojana Bregovic, Marijana Zejakovic, Milos Andjelkovic, Maric Lalovic, Katarina Stojakovic, Tomislav Popovic and Igor Nikolic in Serbia.