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Herbert Smith Freehills has advised Lufthansa Group on the sale of their globally operating catering business to private equity company Aurelius Group. Herbert Smith Freehills already advised the Lufthansa Group in 2019 on the sale of LSG Group's European business to the Swiss company Gategroup.

The carve-out transaction includes all classic catering activities as well as the onboard retail and food commerce business. LSG Group combines about 19.000 employees worldwide and consists of over 100 companies operating more than 130 service centres in the Americas (U.S. and Latin America), EMMA (Emerging Markets) and Asia-Pacific regions. The LSG Group also includes the onboard retail specialist Retail InMotion and SCIS Air Security Services. 
 
As part of the transaction, shares and assets will be transferred in more than 30 jurisdictions. The closing of the transaction is subject to the necessary regulatory approvals and is expected to take place in the third quarter of 2023.
 
The LSG Group is headquartered in Neu-Isenburg near Frankfurt am Main. In 2021 it generated consolidated revenue of EUR 1.96 billion worldwide.
 
The Aurelius Group is a private equity investor based in Grünwald, Germany. The investment company currently operates in eight different locations in Europe, including Munich, London, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Milan, Madrid, Luxembourg and Düsseldorf.
 
Advisor Deutsche Lufthansa 
 
Herbert Smith Freehills:
 
Düsseldorf/Frankfurt: Dr Soenke Becker (Lead, Corporate/M&A), Dr Marcel Nuys (Competition), Dr Marius Boewe (Regulatory), Dr Steffen Hoerner (Tax), Kai Liebrich (Finance); Counsels: Dr Christian Johnen, Lena von Richthofen (both Corporate/M&A), Dr Florian Huerkamp (Competition), Dr Hannes Jacobi (Finance); Associates: Dr Nikolaus Moench, Marjel Dema, Janis Rentrop, Tobias Beuker, Dr Marius Dicke (all Corporate), Mirko Gleitsmann, Anne Eckenroth, Caroline Wendt (all Competition), David Rasche, Kristin Kattwinkel (both Regulatory), Wladimir Leonhard, Tatiana Guenster (both Tax), Dr Simone Ziegler (Data Protection), Dr Tim Abendschein, Justus ter Veen (both Finance)
 
Hong Kong: Hilary Lau (Corporate)
 
Johannesburg: Rudolph du Plessis (Corporate)
 
London: Mark Bardell (Corporate), Kristen Roberts, Gabrielle Wong (both Finance), Rachel Pinto (Pensions)
 
New York: James Robinson (Corporate), Joseph Falcone, Jonathan Cross (both Regulatory)
 
Milan: Pietro Pouche (Disputes)
 
Shanghai: Nanda Lau (Corporate)

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Dr Sönke Becker

Partner, Head of Corporate Germany, Co-Head Manufacturing & Industrials, Germany

Dr Sönke Becker

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Friederike Hartmann

Head of Business Development

Germany

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