Ashurst advised NORD Holding Unternehmensbeteiligungsgesellschaft mbH (NORD Holding) on the sale of WEMAS Absperrtechnik GmbH (WEMAS), a leading manufacturer in highway barrier engineering, to Gimv and the WEMAS management.

Investment company Gimv acquired a majority stake, while the balance will be held by the company's management team under the leadership of CEO Markus Schwinn. NORD Holding acquired WEMAS in 2011 from the company's founder Siegfried Kwasny in the course of his succession planning.

The Ashurst team was led by corporate partner Holger H. Ebersberger, assisted by associate Nicole Kaps and paralegal Franziska Nebollieff. Partner Ute Zinsmeister and associate Franziska Sauer (both antitrust), counsel Christiane Bestgen (finance, all Munich) and partner Dr Martin Bünning (tax, Frankfurt) also advised. 

NORD Holding invests in mid-sized high-growth companies. The focus of its activities lies in the implementation of business succession models, the acquisition of subsidiaries and the supporting of high-growth companies within the scope of expansion financings. NORD Holding's group of shareholders mainly comprises savings banks, pension funds and insurance companies.

WEMAS is the market leader in Germany for integrated, certified solutions in highway barrier engineering. The product includes beacons, guardrails, lighting, foot plates and traffic cones.