#PRESS RELEASES

27 August 2018

GLADE MICHEL WIRTZ has advised Franz Haniel & Cie. GmbH (Haniel) on the reduction in the shareholding on METRO AG. On 24 August 2018, Haniel Finance Deutschland GmbH, a 100 per cent subsidiary of Franz Haniel & Cie. GmbH (Haniel) signed an agreement to sell 7.3 per cent of the issued ordinary shares of METRO AG to EP Global Commerce GmbH (EPGC), Germany. Haniel, the largest single shareholder of METRO AG, has also agreed with EPGC that they may acquire up to 15.2 per cent of the issued ordinary shares of METRO AG under a call option. The parties have agreed not to disclose the agreed purchase price. The agreement between Haniel and EPGC is subject to approval of the Supervisory Board of Haniel and subject to antitrust clearance. Apart from that, the original stockholders Beisheim and Schmidt-Ruthenbeck as well as the CECONOMY AG (since the demerger of the old METRO AG) are still involved.

EP Global Commerce (EPGC) is an acquisition entity owned by the two investment partners, Patrik Tkáč (47 per cent) and Daniel Křetínský (53 per cent). Mr Tkáč is a co-founder and co- owner of the J&T group of companies, an international financial and private banking services provider and investment group active namely in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Mr Křetínský is a controlling shareholder, chairman and CEO of Energeticky a prumyslovy holding, a.s. (EPH), an international energy and infrastructure group based in the Czech Republic.

GLADE MICHEL WIRTZ rendered advice on the structure of the transaction, the contract negotiations, on merger control as well as on corporate and competition law matters of the implementation.

In the last years GLADE MICHEL WIRTZ continually advised Haniel on important transactions, most recently in particular on the acquisition of packaging manufacturer ROVEMA (2017), on the foundation of a joint venture between Haniel subsidiary CWS-boco and Rentokil Initial (2016/2017), on the demerger of METRO (2016/2017) as well as on the acquisition of Bekaert Textiles (2015). Moreover, GLADE MICHEL WIRTZ advises Haniel on corporate and capital market law.

HANIEL (Inhouse law Duisburg):
Dr Peter Herz (General Counsel)

GLADE MICHEL WIRTZ (Düsseldorf):
Dr Achim Glade, Dr Andreas Merkner (both partner corporate), Dr Markus Wirtz, Dr Christian Karbaum (both partner competition), Dr Christof Wagner (associate corporate)

GLADE MICHEL WIRTZ specialises in the fields of corporate and competition law and currently employs 24 attorneys. The Düsseldorf-based law firm advises national and international clients in corporate and competition law. In three consecutive years the law firm received one of the prestigious JUVE Awards (2012 for competition law, 2013 as Best Law Firm of the West as well as 2014 for corporate law) and is nominated for this year's JUVE Award "Law Firm of the Year".

The press release is available for download here: GLADE MICHEL WIRTZ advises Haniel on reduction in the shareholding on METRO