Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati, working in association with Gowling WLG, has advised the Convergys consumer management company on its EUR 123 million acquisition of buw, Germany’s largest service provider in the customer care industry in private ownership. Taylor Wessing advised sellers Karsten Wulf and Jens Bormannon on the deal, which remains contingent on certain adjustments and regulatory approvals.
By adding buw’s geographic footprint, complementary client base, and German language capabilities, Convergys expects the acquisition to expand its presence in the growing German outsourced customer management service industry. As the largest owner-operated customer management company in Germany, buw will bring approximately 6,000 employees spread across Germany, Hungary, and Romania into Convergys’ existing 130,000 workforce operation.
CHSH advised with regard to the Austrian, Hungarian, and Romanian jurisdictions. The firm’s team in Vienna consisted of lead Partner Albert Birkner and Associate Maximilian Mayer, in Bucharest of Partners Mirela Nathanzon and Zizi Popa and Senior Attorney Sebastian Bolda, and in Budapest of Partner Andrea Presser and Senior Attorneys Gyorgy Balint and Peter Szajlai.
The Gowling WLG team was headed by Partner Andreas Wolfle.
The Hamburg-based Taylor Wessing team consisted of Lead Partner Mark Hoenike, supported by Partners Marc Muller, Marco Hartmann-Ruppel, Tobias Schelinski, tax lawyer Bert Kimpel, and Associates Jonas Warnken, Konstantin Schrader, and Stephan von Marschall. Vienna-based Taylor Wessing Partner Philipp Hoflehner was on the team as well.
