Latham & Watkins LLP has advised European private equity firm EMZ Partners along with the management of Simon Hegele Group on the sale and purchase agreement to transfer 100% of the shares in Simon Hegele to Nippon Express Holdings. The agreement was signed on September 30, 2024, and is subject to customary regulatory approvals.
EMZ conducts a generalist investment strategy with a strong focus on B2B business models. The private equity firm operates from offices in Paris and Munich covering the French and German-speaking countries in Continental Europe.
Nippon Express Holdings is the listed Japanese parent company of NX Group, a Japan-based global logistics provider with a global network spanning more than 50 countries. The company offers air freight, ocean freight, heavy lift transportation, warehousing and distribution handling, logistics design, IT services, truck charter services, and relocation services.
Simon Hegele is a provider of contract logistics solutions within the healthcare, pharma, and industry and retail sectors. The Group has a global footprint of 50 locations and a blue-chip customer base. The sale to Nippon Express Holdings not only completes the succession from the Hegele family but also enables Simon Hegele to capitalize on synergies with Nippon Express while maintaining its existing organizational structure and leadership team.
Latham & Watkins regularly advises EMZ and its portfolio companies on transactions, including the investment in Simon Hegele in 2021.
The Latham team was led by Munich private equity partner Burc Hesse, with corporate associates Chris Freitag and Julian Glaub. Advice was also provided on tax matters by Hamburg partner Verena Seevers, with associate Manuela Minsel; on merger control/FDI matters by Frankfurt partner Max Hauser and Hamburg partner Jana Dammann de Chapto, with associates Nicolas Jung and Judith Jacop; on employment matters by Munich partner Tobias Leder, with associate Martina Hölzer; on regulatory matters by counsel Joachim Grittmann; on real estate matters by counsel Sven Nickel, with associate Marie-Christine Welp; and on finance matters by associate Julia Braeuer.
