Clifford Chance has advised a club of banks, consisting of major Czech and Austrian market players, coordinated by Česká spořitelna, a.s., Československá obchodní banka, a. s. and UniCredit Bank Czech Republic and Slovakia, a.s. and further comprising of Komerční banka a.s., Raiffeisenbank a.s., and Raiffeisen Bank International AG in connection with financing of acquisition of Meopta – optika, s.r.o. and its subsidiaries by Carlyle. Česká spořitelna, a.s. is acting as agent of the financing club. The acquisition was announced, and the primary documents signed, in June 2023 with the successful closing finally having occurred in October 2023.

Founded in 1933 and headquartered in Přerov (Czech Republic), Meopta is a leading vertically integrated developer and manufacturer of high-precision specialized industrial and handheld optical, opto-mechanical, and opto-electronic solutions.

Carlyle will seek to support Meopta’s growth in partnership with its management team by capturing the opportunity in more advanced built-to-spec use cases through an increased focus on R&D, capitalizing on attractive opportunities in a diverse range of end markets, expanding its international presence through the creation of a direct sales network, and improving its operations.

Carlyle has a longstanding history of investments in the sector, including its investment in TESCAN ORSAY HOLDING, announced in December 2022.

The Clifford Chance team of Prague and London offices advised on Czech and English law aspects of the transaction. The team was led by Partners Miloš Felgr and Jim MacHale with the primary support of Counsel Dominik Vojta, Senior Associate Emily James and Associates Tomáš Kubala and Emma Scott.