Oppenhoff advises GASCADE on strategically important transaction for securing energy in Germany

Oppenhoff has advised the transport network operator of the WIGA Group on a transaction with which the German state is gaining greater influence over the gas transport network in Europe. Gascade Gastransport GmbH is part of the WIGA Group, which was previously held in a joint venture by Wintershall Dea AG and SEFE Securing Energy for Europe GmbH. SEFE, as a state-owned energy company, has now acquired the shares of Wintershall Dea AG.

The Oppenhoff team advised the transport network operators of the WIGA Group as a target on the development and structuring of the data room, supported the Q&A process and the negotiations with the parties to the transactions. The team was led by Prof. Dr. Nefail Berjasevic and Dr. Philipp Heinrichs (Corporate Law/M&A) and also included Dr Günter Seulen and Dr Maike Mestmäcker (both Corporate Law/M&A), Dr. Daniel Dohrn (Antitrust Law), Dr. Carmen Schneider and Dr. Friedrich von Bredow (both Energy Law) and Christian Saßenbach (IT Law and Data Protection).

WIGA acts as a holding company for the joint transport activities of the two independent subsidiaries NEL Gastransport GmbH (NEL), network operator of the North European Natural Gas Pipeline, and GASCADE Gastransport GmbH. As an independent transport network operator, GASCADE builds, plans and operates gas pipelines. The company operates a nationwide pipeline network of around 3,700 kilometres in length.

SEFE focuses in particular on the areas of procurement & trading, distribution, transport, storage and gas mobility, as well as the energy sources gas & LNG, low-emission hydrogen and electricity. Wintershall Dea AG is a German gas and oil producer.

Oppenhoff has been advising national and international companies on transactions and corporate law matters for decades. The M&A team, which has received numerous awards in industry handbooks, recently advised KNDS on the cornerstone investment as part of the IPO of the RENK Group, the Austrian Federal Railways ÖBB on the acquisition of Go-Ahead Deutschland and Hawesko on its investment in the Baltic Dunker Group.

The firm regularly advises on transactions in highly regulated markets, e.g. in the dynamic energy markets.

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