Gerold Niggemann is a partner in Hughes Hubbard’s corporate department. His practice focuses on cross-border mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and general corporate matters. His experience includes representing both strategic and financial investors in public and private acquisitions and divestitures as well as early and late stage startups in fundraisings in the United States and a multitude of international jurisdictions.
Highlighted Publications
Co-author of chapter in Practitioners’ Handbook on public takeover bids under the German Securities Acquisition and Takeover Act, published by C.H. Beck, Germany (2018)
Co-author of chapters on cross-border takeover bids and competing takeover bids in Handbook of Takeover Law, published by C.H. Beck, Germany (2017)
Co-author of sections on offerings of equity and equity-linked securities in Treatise on the German Stock Corporation Act, published by C.H. Beck, Germany, 3rd edition (2017)
Co-author of article on the reporting obligations vis-à-vis stockholders to which the management board of a German stock corporation is subject in connection with equity offerings from authorized capital (ex subscription rights), and consequences of non-compliance, Die Aktiengesellschaft, Germany (2013, p. 269)
Co-author of article on undisclosed (‘hidden’) contributions in kind in German entrepreneurial companies, Neue Zeitschrift für Gesellschaftsrecht, Germany (2012, p. 1412)
Author of thesis on creditor protection under German corporate law and the impact of the European Freedom of Establishment, published by Duncker & Humblot, Germany (2010)
Highlighted Matters
Representation of Cantor Fitzgerald as sponsor in a SPAC merger with View Inc., the Silicon Valley-based smart glass manufacturer
Represented Platinum Equity in its $1.9 billion public takeover of Wesco Aircraft
Represented Patrick Drahi in his $3.7 billion public takeover of Sotheby’s
Represented JD Sports Fashion, one of the world's leading retailers of sports and fashion brands headquartered in the U.K., in:
Its acquisition of Shoe Palace and Nice Kicks for cash consideration of $325 million and the issuance to certain sellers of equity valued at approx. $356 million
Its $558 million public takeover of Finish Line, a retailer of athletic footwear, apparel and accessories
Represented German automaker Daimler in:
Its acquisition of a majority stake in U.S. self-driving technology company Torc Robotics (through its subsidiary Daimler Trucks and Buses Holding Inc.), which transaction was selected as a finalist for Most Innovative Deal of the Year in The Deal Awards Middle Market 2020
Its acquisition of a provider of remanufactured heavy-duty powertrain components (through its subsidiary Detroit Diesel Remanufacturing)
Represented Grab, Southeast Asia’s super app, in:
Its multi-billion Series H preferred equity financing
Its acquisition of Uber’s business in various Southeast Asian jurisdictions, which transaction was selected Technology, Media & Telecom Deal of the Year in The Deal's Cross-Border Asia Awards 2019
A $1 billion preferred equity investment by lead investor Toyota
A $700 million preferred equity investment by MUFG, Japan's largest bank
The formation of a strategic partnership with Microsoft pursuant to which Microsoft will invest in Grab, and Grab will leverage Microsoft's expertise in machine learning and other artificial intelligence
Represented Latin America’s fintech startup Ualá in its seed round and Series A, B and C rounds, raising funds from affiliates of Tencent, Softbank, Goldman Sachs Investment Partners, Soros Fund Management, Monashees, Ribbit Capital and Jefferies, among others
Represented Coupang, the largest Korean e-commerce website, in its $2 billion Series J fundraising
Represented TechOps, a Delta and Aeromexico joint venture for the operation of an MRO facility in Mexico, in connection with an agreement to grant MRO Holdings, one of America’s largest aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul service providers, access to TechOps’ capacity for a period of ten years
Represented the Corporate Governance and Conflicts Committee of the Board of Directors of TerraForm Power, Inc. in its $6.6 billion merger and sponsorship transaction with Brookfield Asset Management and the concurrent settlement arrangements with its former sponsor SunEdison
Represented Greenbriar Equity Group LLC in its sale of transportation management firm Transplace Holdings LLC to TPG Capital
Represented India-based IT giant Wipro in its $500 million acquisition of Appirio Inc., a cloud computing and IT consulting company
Represented Wafra Capital in several of its acquisitions
Represented Cenveo, a world leader in custom printing, in the restructuring of its debt profile through an offer to exchange its outstanding 11.5% senior notes due 2017 for new 6% senior notes due 2024 and warrants, and relating arrangements with certain significant noteholders (including a repurchase from Allianz Global Investors of Cenveo’s 7% senior exchangeable notes due 2017)
Represented Gazprom, one of the world’s largest energy companies based in Russia, in:
A complex asset swap (involving gas fields in Siberia, Russia, and gas trading and storage facilities in Germany and Switzerland) with Wintershall, a subsidiary of BASF, the largest diversified chemical company in the world; and
The divestment of a minority stake in VNG, a German gas pipeline operator
Represented Nexans, a leading global cable manufacturer headquartered in Paris, France, in the divestment of its German rolling stock and wire harnesses business to Sirail, a French specialty manufacturer of rolling stock and wire harnesses
Represented Edenred, a leading provider of expense management services headquartered in Paris, France, in its acquisition of a minority stake (with an option to acquire a majority stake) in UTA, a key player in the European fleet management market, and the entering into of relating joint venture arrangements
