RTPR advises Innova Capital on Optical Investment Group sale

RTPR has assisted private equity fund Innova Capital in relation to the sale of Optical Investment Group to EssilorLuxottica, a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of ophthalmic lenses, frames and sunglasses. Optical Investment Group is one of the leading retailers of optical eyecare and eyewear products on the Romanian market. With a network of 99 stores in Bucharest and main cities in Romania, the group boasts the largest optical retail presence in the country under the OPTIblu, Optiplaza and O51 brands. The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals.

The RTPR team of lawyers involved in this project was coordinated by Alina Stavaru (Partner) and Andrei Tosa (Managing Associate), and further included Roxana Ionescu (Partner), Cezara Urzica (Senior Associate), Cristina Croitoru (Managing Associate), Irina Marinescu, Maria Luca, Radu Ciolacu, Luka Perovic, David Mirea and Bianca Cojocaru (Junior Associates).

“We are excited to celebrate another successful deal with Innova. Their continued trust is a testament to our team’s dedication and expertise, and a source of great pride for us. It honours and motivates us to continue with the same enthusiasm each time and inspires us to maintain our commitment to excellence for our clients”, said Alina Stavaru, Partner of RTPR.

“We enjoyed an excellent collaboration with the Innova team throughout all stages of this complex and interesting transaction. We are thrilled to see that our efforts to identify the best solutions for all parties involved have successfully led to the desired outcome. I hope we will have the opportunity to work together on other projects in the near future”, said Andrei Tosa, Managing Associate at RTPR.

Last year, the RTPR team assisted Innova Capital in three buy-side mandates: a majority stake in EMI (EMI Equipement Maintenance Industrie S.A.), market leader in industrial access systems, followed by the acquisition of KADRA, the only Romanian company that offers technical integrated solutions in access engineering and access management by EMI Group, as well as a majority stake in the NETOPIA Group, one of the best known payment service providers (PSP) in Romania. In 2020, the law firm advised the private equity fund on the acquisition of PayPoint Services SRL and Payzone SA from the PayPoint group.
The law firm has unrivalled experience in M&A and private equity deals. Private equity funds choose RTPR for its extensive expertise in both buy-side and sell-side mandates, the firm’s client portfolio includes most of the funds that have investments in Romania.

RTPR’s consistent performance in advising on the most sophisticated and complex deals in Romania and the region is recognised as a Tier 1 firm every year in the rankings produced by the most important international legal directories, Chambers, Legal 500 and IFLR1000. Recently, RTPR was named “Romania Law Firm of the Year” at the Chambers Europe Awards 2024, one of the most prestigious accolades in the legal area which confirms the firm’s status as a leader in the field.

Selected corporate/M&A deals in which RTPR have recently advised are set out below:

    MidEuropa Partners on the EUR1.3bn sale of Profi, in the largest transaction in the retail sector ever concluded in Romania
    Global Records and Stefan Lucian, the founder and CEO of the company, in the process of selling a 25% stake in the company to Believe, one of the world’s leading digital music companies and of setting up the terms of their strategic partnership
    Vectr Holdings, through its subsidiary Vectr Realty Holdings, on the indirect acquisition of 100% stake in the company that owns The Landmark office building
    Intesa Sanpaolo Bank, the largest Italian bank, on the acquisition of First Bank from the American private investment fund J.C. Flowers
    AROBS Transilvania Software, an important Romanian company that provides software services and solutions in various industries and the largest tech company listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange, on the acquisition of Infobest Romania from the founders of the business
    Morphosis Capital and a group of co-investors from Belgium on the acquisition of a majority stake in Mark Twain International School
    ENGIE Romania on the acquisition of an operational wind farm with a capacity of 80MW
    Macquarie Asset Management (MAM) on the sale of CEZ Vanzare to Premier Energy PLC, owned by the Czech private equity fund, Emma Capital
    Orange Money Romania, part of Orange group, on the transfer of its retail business to Alpha Bank Romania
    Romcim, part of the CRH Group, on the acquisition of Bauelemente Reinvest S.R.L. and its fully owned subsidiary, Bauelemente S.R.L., the market leader manufacturer of prefabricated reinforced and prestressed concrete in Romania