RTPR has assisted the private equity fund Resource Partners in relation to the acquisition of a majority stake in Ia Bilet SRL, the most important ticketing platform in Romania, as well as of the concert organiser BestMusic Concerts SRL. Our mandate covered legal assistance in relation to all phases of the acquisition, from due diligence, negotiation of transaction documents, obtaining FDI and competition approvals, as well as all formalities for the completion of the transaction.
The due diligence phase of the mandate was coordinated by Alina Stavaru (Partner), together with Cristina Enaga (Counsel), and further included Cezara Urzica (Senior Associate), Luka Perovic and Iasmina Buse (Junior Associates). The transactional phase of the project was coordinated by Alina Stavaru, Cristina Enaga, as well as Andrei Tosa (Managing Associate). Roxana Ionescu (Partner), Serban Halmagean (Associate) and Daria Spatariu (Junior Associate) advised on competition and FDI aspects of the deal.
“Alina and her team at RTPR were outstanding in supporting us on the iaBilet and BestMusic transaction. They combined technical excellence with practical, business-focused advice and guided us seamlessly through a complex process. Their commitment and responsiveness made them a true partner in the deal”, said Miruna Popa, Investment Manager at Resource Partners.
“We were honoured to assist such a sophisticated and professional team as that of Resource Partners who led this transaction, and we would like to thank them for choosing us to be by their side. Our team’s extensive experience in transactions with private equity funds has enabled us to effectively navigate the complexities of this deal and to provide legal solutions adapted to the specifics of this sector”, said Alina Stavaru, Partner at RTPR.
In 2014, RTPR assisted Resource Partners on the acquisition of a majority stake of 71% in World Class Romania, the fitness centres network, and subsequently in a new transaction through which the fund took over the remaining shares, reaching a 100% ownership.
RTPR is well-known for its extensive experience in transactions involving investment funds, having been, during the last few years, involved in most of the private equity deals in Romania on both buy-side and sell-side mandates, whilst also advising their portfolio companies on bolt-on acquisitions. The firm’s unrivalled expertise in the largest and most interesting transactions in Romania and in the region has been recognised by the most important international legal directories, such as Chambers & Partners, Legal 500 and IFLR1000, which rank RTPR’s Corporate/M&A practice on the first tier. At the same time several team members are recommended as Leading Lawyers or Rising Stars in this area.
For its activity in the private equity deals, RTPR was named Legal Advisor of the Year 2024 at the ROPEA Awards organised by the Romanian Private Equity Association. It is for the second consecutive year that RTPR wins this distinction, thus reconfirming its leading position in this field.
Selected deals in which RTPR have recently advised funds are set out below:
- MidEuropa on the sale of Cargus to courier company SAMEDAY, part of the eMAG group
- MidEuropa on the sale of Regina Maria Group to Mehiläinen in the largest ever healthcare services transaction in Central Europe
- MidEuropa on the EUR1.3bn sale of Profi, in the largest transaction in the retail sector ever concluded in Romania
- Integral Capital Group on the acquisition of a majority stake in Embryos, a leading fertility and gynaecology clinic in Romania, specialised in assisted reproduction technology, offering an integrated suite of fertility treatments, including IVF
- Abris Capital Partners on the sale of Pehart Grup, one of the largest paper producers in South-Eastern Europe, to INVL Baltic Sea Growth Fund, the leading private equity fund in the Baltic States
- Oresa and the entrepreneur Cristian Amza on the sale of the entire stake in the La Fantana group to the strategic investor Axel Johnson
- PragmaGO, a company owned by the private equity fund Enterprise Investors, on the acquisition of an 89% stake in Telecredit IFN, operating under the brand name Omnicredit
- Innova Capital on the sale of Optical Investment Group, a leading retailer of optical eyecare and eyewear products in Romania, to EssilorLuxottica, a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of ophthalmic lenses, frames and sunglasses
- SARMIS Capital on the strategic acquisition of three renowned companies in the facility management services sector: AEK Security, AEK Firefighters, and Deziclean
- Morphosis Capital and a group of co-investors from Belgium on the acquisition of a majority stake in Mark Twain International School
- Black Sea Fund on the acquisition of a majority stake in Gymboland, the local market leader in indoor playgrounds for children by the number of locations
- Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA) on the acquisition of a portfolio of power assets owned by CEZ Group in Romania, at the time the largest M&A transaction in Romania in the previous 12 years
