Frankfurt—Global law firm Dentons has advised the Japanese company HORIBA Automotive Test Systems on the acquisition of FuelCon AG, based in Magdeburg, Germany. Through the acquisition, FuelCon will become part of one of the world's leading manufacturers of engine, drive, brake and emission test systems in the automotive sector. The transaction is still subject to approval by the antitrust authorities.

HORIBA Group shares are traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Headquartered in Kyoto, the company employs over 7,000 people in 27 countries worldwide. In Germany, HORIBA Europa GmbH has 13 branches in addition to its headquarters in Oberursel, Hessen.

FuelCon was founded in 2001 and is a leading manufacturer of test tracks and test systems for battery drives and fuel cells. By integrating the company's expertise in fuel cell and battery power measurement, HORIBA Group aims to expand its leading position in the development of drives for electrified vehicles and thus strengthen its position in the global growth market for electric mobility. In this context, the company plans to expand the Magdeburg site as a global competence center for the development and testing of batteries and fuel cells.

A Dentons team under the leadership of Frankfurt based partner Christoph Papenheim (Corporate/M&A) advised the buyer on all antitrust, employment, real estate and tax law issues and accompanied the purchase contract negotiations.

Advisors to HORIBA:

Dentons (Berlin):

Corporate/M&A: Dr. Christoph Papenheim (Lead Partner), Lin Liu (Senior Associate), Dr. Anja Schlepper (Senior Associate), Dr. Ariane Theissen (Associate)

Competition and Antitrust: Dr. René Grafunder (Partner), Franziska Peters (Associate)

Employment and Labor: Frank Lenzen (Partner), Hasine Azim (Associate)

Tax: Thomas Voss (Partner), Thomas Treffer (Senior Associate)

Real Estate: Dr. Andrej Latinovic (Counsel).

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