News
LARK advises the Andra Tech Group on the acquisition of RJ Lasertechnik GmbH
Andra Tech Germany Holding GmbH/Andra Tech Group, a portfolio company of Castik Capital, has acquired RJ Lasertechnik GmbH.
RJ Lasertechnik GmbH, based in Übach-Palenberg, specialises in development and manufacturing tasks involving laser radiation, the construction of laser processing systems, and the sale and maintenance of accessories.
The Dutch Andra Tech Group focuses on the manufacture of high-quality precision mechanical parts and modules. It employs over 800 technical specialists and serves customers from numerous industries, including medicine and aerospace technology.
The Business Law Powerhouse LARK provided comprehensive advice to the Andra Tech Group on this transaction with Dr. Daniel Wied, Dr. Patrick Droese, Jennifer Blümlein, Fabienne Pflug, Nino Häberlein (all Private Equity/M&A), Dr. Tobias Stuppi, Jakob Heimrich (both Tax) and Valentina Groll (Finance).
Dr. Jens Jensen from backup.legal covered the labour law aspects. Inga George from boesling IP Rechtsanwälte advised on IP/IT matters.
The Andra Tech Group has repeatedly relied on Dr. Daniel Wied for add-on acquisitions. For example, he also advised the client on the acquisition of Innotec Zerspannungstechnik GmbH.
LARK welcomes Katja Federmann!
We are very pleased to welcome Katja Federmann as our new Team Assistant at LARK! Katja brings with her many years of experience from an international law firm – and she’s already getting to know the entire LARK team in a very special setting: Katja is joining us for our Working From Away week in beautiful Umbria, where we are blending deep focus with Italian sunshine, good food – and plenty of team building.
We are so happy to have you with us, Katja – welcome to LARK!
PMN Management Awards 2025: LARK is nominated in the Newcomer category
We are thrilled to announce and incredibly proud that LARK has been nominated for the PMN Management Awards 2025 in the Newcomer category! This recognition means a lot to us. When we founded LARK, we wanted to rethink excellence and challenge traditional ways of running a law firm. This nomination confirms once again that we are on the right path with our innovative approach.
The PMN Management Awards, now in their 17th year, honor law firms for innovative projects in management and business services. To be part of this group, so early on in our journey, is both humbling and motivating.
The awards ceremony will take place on September 18, 2025, in Düsseldorf.
A big thank you to the jury, and congratulations to all fellow nominees. Let’s keep shaping the future of the legal profession!
LARK designs employee participation programs in the form of profit participation rights
Our team, consisting of tax lawyer Dr Tobias Stuppi and corporate lawyers Max Hentrich and Dr Daniel Gubitz, was one of the first in Germany to design employee participation programs in the form of profit participation rights (Genussrechte), for which the authorities have approved attractive capital gains taxation.
Max Hentrich and Dr Tobias Stuppi spoke to Daniel Lehmann from JUVE Steuermarkt about profit participation rights and available alternatives.
Three key points:
- Tax relief for employee shareholdings: A change in the law now makes it possible for young companies in particular to offer their employees tax-advantaged shareholdings in their company. The monetary benefit no longer has to be taxed immediately, but only when it is actually received (e.g. upon exit) – this eliminates the problem of ‘dry income’.
- Profit participation rights as an attractive form of participation: Profit participation rights combine the tax advantages of genuine capital participation (lower taxation at around 26.4%) with simpler, more cost-effective and administratively leaner implementation.
- Careful planning is crucial: Choosing the right investment model depends heavily on the size, structure, target group and exit strategy of the company. Mistakes in the design can lead to expensive problems and liability risks later on, especially during the exit.
The interview is available here (behind a paywall): https://www.juve-steuermarkt.de/hintergrund/wer-bei-der-gestaltung-spart-spart-am-falschen-ende/
LARK financing experts analyse current trends in the latest Chambers Practice Guide
Our financing experts, Anselm Lenhard and Philipp Büchler, have contributed to the latest Chambers and Partners Practice Guide, Acquisition Finance 2025, writing about 'Trends and Developments'.
This guide is essential reading for anyone requiring information on acquisition finance in Germany.
In their article, Anselm and Philipp provide an in-depth analysis of current trends and developments in the German acquisition finance market – from structural innovations to regulatory shifts.
Three key takeaways:
🔹 M&A momentum is returning: After a volatile period, the German mid-market is slowly adapting to an elevated interest rate environment. M&A and acquisition finance activity picked up in late 2024 and continues into 2025.
🔹 Private credit is reshaping the landscape: Alternative lenders have become dominant players in Germany’s mid-market – a trend likely to continue as banks face stricter regulatory capital requirements.
🔹 Vendor financing bridges valuation gaps: As buyers and sellers still struggle to align on price, vendor loans remain a practical tool to close financing gaps and enable deal execution.
👉 Read the full article here: https://shorturl.at/bbZuN
LARK celebrates Pride Month
At LARK, we believe that diversity makes us stronger – not just as a law firm, but as a community of people committed to a more inclusive world.
Pride Month is a time to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, honour the progress that has been made, and acknowledge the work that still lies ahead.
At LARK, diversity and inclusion are not just buzzwords. They are deeply embedded in our culture and values. This enables us to actively create an environment in which everyone is seen and can thrive as an individual.
We’re proud to stand alongside our LGBTQ+ colleagues and clients - not just this month, but every month.
LARK advises Trill Impact on its partnership with Primutec
Trill Impact has entered a partnership with Primutec, a leading building envelope services company focusing on roofing, lightning protection and solar PV.
Primutec is a leading group of specialist companies in the Netherland and Germany focusing on the renovation segment, which is supported by macro trends such as an aging building stock and increasing demand for insulation. In the Netherlands, key customer groups include general contractors and housing corporations, while in Germany, real estate developers, industrial firms, and commercial businesses represent a majority of the client base. Prior to partnering with Trill Impact, Primutec group was held by Deutsche Private Equity (DPE) and its co-investors.
Trill Impact is an Impact House in Europe with around EUR 1.3 billion in assets under management. Its investment strategies span Buyout, Ventures and Microfinance, supported by advisory professionals based in Europe and North America.
Business Law Powerhouse LARK advised Trill Impact on this transaction with Dr Ludger Schult and Dr Patrick Droese (both lead), Jennifer Blümlein, Taoran Sun, Chiara Niestroj and Fabienne Pflug (all Private Equity/M&A), Dr Tobias Stuppi and Jakob Heimrich (both Tax) as well as Philipp Büchler and Valentina Groll (both Finance).
A team led by Wouter Kros of the law firm AKD advised on all Dutch aspects of the transaction. LARK was also supported by Ingo Sappa of Pusch Wahlig Workplace Law on labour law issues, and by Dr Thomas Schafft of SSH Rechtsanwälte on IP/IT matters. Patrick Braasch led the team at REIUS Rechtsanwälte who advised Trill Impact on real estate law.
The LARK team of Dr Ludger Schult and Dr Patrick Droese had previously advised Trill Impact on their first transaction in Germany – the acquisition of karriere tutor, a company specialized in (online) professional training.
LARK advises FSN Capital on the acquistion of the UHL Bau GmbH
The FSN Capital Compass I Fund has acquired a majority stake in the Austrian company UHL Bau GmbH. The previous co-owners, Jürgen and Sabine Uhl, will retain a minority stake and continue to serve on the supervisory board of the company.
The transaction is subject to approval by the relevant authorities. It is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2025.
Based in Wiener Neustadt, UHL Bau GmbH is a leading specialist in civil engineering works relating to electricity, gas, water, wastewater, district heating and telecommunications networks. In 2024, the company generated revenue of more than €80 million and employed around 460 people.
The transaction also includes UHL Elektro GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of UHL Bau GmbH which focuses on installation and energy technology in the low-to-high voltage range, as well as transformer and charging stations.
The FSN Capital Compass I Fund, established in 2022, focuses on investments in Northern Europe. The fund currently has a volume of €410 million.
Business Law Powerhouse LARK provided comprehensive advice to FSN Capital on this transaction with Dr Ludger Schult and Dr Daniel Epe (both co-leads) and Franziska Lang (all Private Equity/M&A). LARK was supported by Michael Lind, Daniel Hoehnl and Dominik Pflug from PwC Legal Austria on the Austrian aspects of the transaction. Dr. Andreas Boos from Buntscheck advised on antitrust law.
LARK advises WEKA Group on the sale of fotocommunity GmbH
The media company WEKA Group has sold fotocommunity GmbH to Five Monkeys Media. fotocommunity GmbH operates an online platform for photo and video projects as well as photo and video sharing, where amateur and professional photographers, image editors and photo artists can exchange ideas.
The Cologne-based company, which also offers the platform in English, French, Spanish and Italian, is the largest online community for photography in Europe with over 1.7 million members.
The WEKA Group is Germany's leading omni-channel provider of specialist information and training. Headquartered in Kissingen, the company employs around 900 people in three countries.
Five Monkeys Media is a young media company whose publications include the technology magazines Chip and Chip Foto-Video.
The Business Law Powerhouse LARK provided comprehensive advice to the WEKA Group on this transaction with Dr Daniel Epe and Franziska Lang (both Private Equity/M&A) as well as Dr Anselm Lenhard and Philipp Büchler (Finance). Daniel Windsheimer of PwC advised on all tax matters.
The LARK team led by Dr Daniel Epe regularly advises the WEKA Group on M&A transactions.
Christin Stender christin.stender@lark.de