13 July 2020 I Deals and Cases

Bär & Karrer Advises Lupa Systems, the Likely New Anchor Shareholder in MCH Group

On 10 July 2020, MCH Group AG announced a comprehensive set of measures, including a new anchor investor, Lupa Systems LLC, an independent private investment company owned by James Murdoch. In order to strengthen its capital structure and shareholder base and to accelerate its ongoing transformation, MCH Group's board of directors proposes to its shareholders a capital increase of CHF 104.5 million, Lupa Systems as a new anchor shareholder and a restructuring of the group's debt capital. Lupa Systems and the public sector shareholders, which are expected to each hold around one third of MCH Group's shares, have signed a long-term relationship agreement to, among other things, secure Art Basel in Basel and are fully committed to the strategic direction announced by MCH Group last autumn. The comprehensive set of measures proposed by MCH Group will only be implemented if MCH Group's shareholders approve all proposals at the extraordinary general meeting to be held on 3 August 2020.

Bär & Karrer acts as legal advisor to Lupa Systems in this transaction. The team is led by Rolf Watter and includes Dieter Dubs (both Listed Companies/M&A), Nadina Duss (Corporate/M&A), Corrado Rampini and Killian Müller (both Real Estate), Lukas Roesler and Jeanine Bopp (both Financing), Alexander von Jeinsen (Capital Markets), Susanne Schreiber, Martin Leu and Kerim Tbaishat (all Tax), Ruth Bloch Riemer and Angelica Schwarz (both Pension), Lukas Bründler (Employment), Annina Läubli (IP) as well as Mani Reinert (Competition Law).