WARSAW – 21 October 2024 – Greenberg Traurig advised Zabka Group and CVC Capital Partners acting as the principal selling shareholder on the initial public offering (IPO) of shares in Zabka Group and their admission to trading on the regulated market operated by the Warsaw Stock Exchange.
The value of the shares sold in the IPO amounted to PLN 6.45 billion (PLN 7.42 billion including the over-allotment shares) making it the largest IPO in Poland in several years. The capitalization of Zabka Group based on the IPO price is PLN 21.5 billion with it becoming, in terms of capitalization, one of the largest companies listed solely on the Warsaw Stock Exchange.
The IPO of Zabka Group included a retail and institutional public offering in Poland, as well as an institutional offering for investors outside of Poland in accordance with Rule 144A and Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act. Greenberg Traurig provided comprehensive legal advisory services to the company and its principal selling shareholder including the preparation and execution of the IPO.
“Congratulations to Zabka Group and CVC Capital Partners and all the involved parties on the successful completion of this landmark IPO, which has the potential to serve as a much-needed spark for the Polish capital market. We have been advising CVC since the very beginning and the acquisition of Żabka Polska in 2017 and during this time the growth of Żabka has been an unprecedented success. The scale and magnitude of this IPO confirm our leading position and why Greenberg Traurig is the go-to firm in the region for such projects,” said Lejb Fogelman, Senior Partner of the Warsaw Office of Greenberg Traurig who is providing strategic supervision of the transaction.
“Together with Rafał Sieński, we are thrilled to have had an opportunity to assist Zabka Group and CVC Capital Partners led by Krzysztof Krawczyk and Maciej Godek in this extremely challenging transaction which could serve as a transformative milestone for the entire market. We are deeply grateful to our Clients for their trust and cooperation with Greenberg Traurig,” said Paweł Piotrowski, Partner from the Warsaw Capital Markets Practice.
The transaction is co-led by Partners from the Capital Markets Practice Paweł Piotrowski and Rafał Sieński who together with Local Partner Mateusz Zaleński are supported by Senior Associate Grzegorz Socha along with Junior Associates Szymon Świerszcz and Kamil Nagawski.
Zabka Group is the most rapidly developing convenience store network in Poland and one of the most dynamic formats globally. The Group serves convenience driven customers across physical and digital channels, with more than 10,500 physical stores operated under a franchise model, unmanned autonomous stores, direct to consumer meal solutions and eGrocery services. Zabka Group recently entered the Romanian market via the acquisition of DRIM and currently operates more than 20 stores in the country. The Group is one of the most recognizable brands in Poland, with over 3 million customers using its services daily.
CVC Capital Partners is a leading global private equity firm, listed on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange, with a network of 29 offices in Europe, Asia and the United States, managing approximately EUR 193 billion in assets. Since its beginnings in 1981, CVC has raised funds in excess of EUR 235 billion from the world's leading institutional investors as part of its private equity and credit strategies. CVC’s funds are currently invested in 130 companies worldwide with combined annual sales of more than EUR 155 billion and employing more than 600,000 people. CVC’s Warsaw office was established in 2015.
Greenberg Traurig is recognized as a longstanding leader in Poland with respect to capital markets. For many years, the Warsaw Capital Markets Practice has been consistently ranked at the very top by leading international directories: Chambers Global, Chambers Europe, Legal 500, as well as IFLR 1000. The Practice offers clients an unparalleled breadth of experience in all aspects of Polish securities law, allowing for the facilitation of all phases of securities transactions on Polish and international capital markets. Greenberg Traurig Warsaw’s seasoned capital markets professionals are acknowledged leaders in Poland and together make up one of the most experienced teams amongst international law firms in the vibrant Central European market.
Greenberg Traurig LLP
Greenberg Traurig, LLP is a global, multi-practice law firm with more than 2750 attorneys serving clients from 48 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
GREENBERG TRAURIG Nowakowska-Zimoch Wysokiński sp.k. was named the 2021 Poland Firm of the Year at the highly esteemed Euromoney Legal Media Group “Women in Business Law Awards 2021 Europe” and the 2021, 2019, 2018 Law Firm of the Year in Poland by International Financial Law Review (IFLR). The Warsaw office of Greenberg Traurig, LLP provides legal services to clients in Central Europe and beyond and consists of approximately 100 lawyers. Team members are regularly recognized as leaders in numerous practice areas. Chambers Global, Chambers Europe, IFLR1000 and EMEA Legal 500 consistently rank them among the top tiers the areas of Corporate/M&A, Capital Markets, Real Estate, Private Equity, Tax, Banking and Finance, Project Finance, Energy, Dispute Resolution, TMT and Competition/Antitrust.
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