DLA Piper has advised Wipro Limited on its acquisition of Metro-Nom in Germany and Metro Systems Romania.
Financial details of the transaction, which is expected to close before April 30, 2021, were not disclosed.
Metro-Nom and Metro Systems Romania are subsidiaries of the German multinational operator of membership-only cash and carry stores. The company runs around 670 stores in 24 countries across Europe and Asia.
Wipro Limited is an Indian provider of information technology, consulting, and business process services.
According to DLA Piper, the acquisition is part of a digital and IT partnership agreement between Wipro and Metro, through which more than 1,300 of Metro's employees across Germany, Romania, and India will transfer to Wipro. The firm reported that, “the strategic partnership is designed to run for five years, with the intention to extend up to four additional years.”
The firm also reported that, “Wipro will deliver a complete technology, engineering and solutions transformation program for Metro … which will encompass cloud, data center, workplace, and network services, along with application development and operations to provide an integrated, flexible, and robust digital infrastructure to help drive Metro transformation agenda.”
DLA Piper reported that “at the heart of the partnership is the formation of a joint Transformation Office and Innovation Council that will guide the businesses through the transformation and ensure collaborative innovation throughout the partnership.” In addition, according to the firm, “Wipro plans to launch a Digital Innovation Hub in Dusseldorf to support Metro and other clients in the region.”
DLA Piper's Bucharest-based Partner Monica Georgiadis, Counsels Andra Trantea, Oana Dutu-Buzura, and Lidia Tutu, and Associate Diana Nacuta joined the firm's multi-jurisdictional team, which also included Germany-based Partners Mathias Schulze, Steinen Konrad Rohde, Jan Pohle, Jan Joachim Dreyer, and Pascal Kremp, Counsels Raimund Behnes and Thilo Streit, Senior Associate Kristin Vogt-Schories, Gregor Schroll, France Vehar, Georg Haberkorn, and Katharina Minski, Associate Nathalie Downar, and Lawyer Tsai Hsuan Lee.
DLA Piper did not reply to an inquiry about the deal.
