Wolf Theiss has advised Vienna Insurance Group AG on the acquisition of Aegon's insurance, pension and asset management business in Hungary, Poland, Romania and Turkey

Wolf Theiss has advised VIENNA INSURANCE GROUP AG Wiener Versicherung Gruppe (VIG) on all legal and regulatory aspects of its acquisition of Aegon's insurance business in Hungary, Poland, Romania and Turkey. As a result of the transaction VIG will take over Aegon's non-life and life insurance companies as well as pension funds, asset management and service companies in these countries, which ideally complement VIG's existing portfolio. The purchase price amounts to EUR 830 million.

"We are delighted to have assisted VIG on this multi-country acquisition, building on the strength and expertise of a single multidisciplinary team that includes our Wolf Theiss colleagues in Warsaw, Budapest, Bucharest and Vienna, as well as Nauta Dutilh in the Netherlands and Paksoy in Turkey.", says Horst Ebhardt, Partner, Corporate and M&A at Wolf Theiss.

The transaction has been entered into on 29 November 2020. It marks one of the largest transactions in the financial industry in Central Europe in 2020 and is subject to the necessary regulatory and competition approvals. Closing of the transaction is expected to take place in the second half of 2021. With the acquisition of these companies, VIG is further expanding its leading market position in Central and Eastern Europe and moves up to the first rank in Hungary's insurance market. In addition, VIG is extending its scope of activity in the pension fund business in this region and will also be active in the life business in Turkey for the first time.

Under a team lead by Horst Ebhardt (Partner, Corporate and M&A), the Wolf Theiss team included:

Bucharest: Ileana Glodeanu (Partner, Corporate and M&A),  Anca Jurcovan (Partner, Competition and Antitrust), Adelina Iftime-Blagean (Counsel, Corporate and M&A, Regulatory and Employment), Mircea Ciocirlea (Counsel, Corporate and M&A), Andreea Stan, (Senior Associate, Employment), Cornelia Postelnicu (Associate, Corporate and M&A), Adina Aurel (Senior Associate, Corporate and Regulatory), Flaviu Nanu (Counsel, Real Estate), Iulia Cumparatu (Associate, Corporate and M&A), Nina Lazar (Associate, Data Protection and Compliance), Andreea Tudorache (Associate, Banking & Finance), Andrei Salageanu (Associate, Real Estate), Ramona Enache (Associate, Employment).

Vienna: Markus Bruckmüller (Partner, Corporate and M&A), Hartwig Kienast (Partner, Corporate and M&A), Robert Wagner (Partner, Competition and Antitrust), Rahim Rastegar (Associate, Corporate and M&A), Christine Siegl (Counsel, Financial Regulatory), Christopher Jünger (Associate, Corporate and M&A), Christoph Raab (Associate, Competition and Antitrust).

Budapest: Janos Toth (Partner, Corporate and M&A), Melinda Pelikan (Counsel, Financial Regulatory), Mark Chiovini (Senior Associate, Corporate and M&A), Barnabas Buzasi (Counsel, Data Privacy), Marietta Molnar (Senior Associate, Employment), Zoltan Bodog and Peter Ihasz (Associates, Corporate and M&A), Laszlo Lovas and Andras Mozsolits (Associates, Financial Regulatory), and Bela Madarasz (Associate, LDR).

Warsaw: Jacek Michalski (Partner, Corporate and M&A), Maciej Olszewski (Counsel, Corporate and M&A), Joanna Wajdzik (Senior Associate, Corporate and M&A), Agnieszka Nowak-Blaszczak (Senior Associate, Corporate- Employment), Iwona Huryn (Senior Associate, Real Estate), Michal Kulig (Senior Associate, Banking, Jakub Pietrasik (Senior Associate, Corporate), Klaudia Dabrowska (Associate, Banking), Michal Koperski (Associate, Corporate), Monika Gaczkowska (Associate, Corporate), Anna Nowodworska (Associate, Corporate).

Nauta Dutilh Amsterdam: Jaap Stoop (Partner, Corporate and M&A), Joost Kloosterman (Counsel, Corporate and M&A), Eva van Rooijen (Associate, Corporate and M&A),Sanne Mesu (Associate/Candidate Civil Law Notary, M&A/Corporate), Larissa Silverentand (Partner, Regulatory), Roderick Watson (Counsel, Regulatory), Pieternel Verhoeven-van den Brink (Partner, Tax) and Erik Poorthuis (Senior Associate, Insurance).

Paksoy Istanbul: Togan Turan (Partner, Corporate and M&A), Nazli Bezirci (Counsel, Corporate and M&A), Asli Eryilmaz (Associate, Corporate and M&A).