10. February 2015

ARQIS has advised the Japanese dental company Shofu on the acquisition of all shares in Merz Dental GmbH. The seller is Merz Pharma GmbH & Co. KGaA.

Merz Dental is a specialist for dental and related technical products and is based in Lütjenburg close to Kiel. The company has nearly 200 employees.

Shofu, founded in Kyoto in 1922 and listed at the Tokyo Stock Exchange, offers an extensive range of products to dentists and dental technicians worldwide and has subsidiaries in the US, Germany, England, Singapore and China. The German subsidiary was founded in Ratingen in 1978.

The acquisition in Germany is part of Shofu’s global expansion strategy, for which the expansion of production, R&D capabilities and strengthening the sales network overseas will be crucial. Shofu expects important synergies by acquiring Merz Dental as prestigious artificial teeth company.

Advisors Shofu

ARQIS Rechtsanwälte (Duesseldorf/Munich) Dr. Shigeo Yamaguchi (lead, corporate/M&A), Dr. Andrea Panzer-Heemeier (Labour Law), Dr. Ulrich Lienhard (Real Estate), Marcus Nothhelfer (IP); Associates: Dr. Meiko Dillmann (Corporate/M&A), Marco Wagner (Commerical), Patrick Schöldgen (Corporate/M&A), Eva Trost, Dr. Markus Schwipper (both Labour Law)