Ashurst advised Pure Battery Technologies Pty Ltd. (Pure Battery) on the indirect acquisition of all shares in Königswarter & Ebell Chemische Fabrik Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung (K&E) via its 100% subsidiary Pure Battery Technologies Germany AG.
Pure Battery, a Brisbane based nickel and cobalt refiner, uses a cutting-edge proprietary Selective Acid Leach (SAL) process to upgrade Mixed Hydroxide Precipitate (MHP, a laterite nickel intermediate, or similar hydroxides) into battery ready nickel and cobalt precursor materials with very low environmental footprint. With the acquisition of K&E Pure Battery intents to create its own access to an established nickel producer in the European and in particular the German market.
K&E, based in Hagen, is a wholly owned subsidiary of TIB Chemicals AG (TIB). TIB is an internationally oriented medium-sized chemical company which offers its customers a diversified product range and customer-specific solutions in the areas of basic chemicals, inorganic special chemicals and coating systems. The acquisition of the shares in K&E is a major contribution to increased efficiency in the Pure Battery business area and aims to contribute significantly to the environmental protection largely requested from the emerging Electric Vehicle industry.
Ashurst worked very closely with the business team of Pure Battery, in particular Bjorn Zikarsky (Managing Director/CEO), Stephan Wilmot (Chairman), and Thomas Fahrner (CEO of PBT Germany).
The Ashurst team was led by partner Dr Thomas Sacher (Corporate M&A) and counsel Volker Germann (Corporate M&A, both Munich). They were supported by partners Dr Anders Kraft (Tax) and Dr Maximilian Uibeleisen (Regulatory, both Frankfurt), counsel Dr Maria Held (Competition), associate Armin Müller (Corporate M&A, both Munich), counsels Francois Maartens Heynike (IT) and Dr Fabian Klein (IP), senior associate Lukas Müller (Employment) as well as associates Patricia Gola (Employment), Dr Simon Groneberg (Regulatory) and Florian Wörner (Real Estate, all Frankfurt).
