Milbank LLP has advised H.I.G. Capital (“H.I.G.”), a leading global private capital firm, on the acquisition of a majority stake in go asia, Germany’s largest retail chain for Asian food. H.I.G. and the founding family led by Wengui Ye have agreed to enter into a partnership to accelerate the company’s next phase of growth. H.I.G. will contribute its retail and consumer expertise, international network and capital resources. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals.
Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Berlin, go asia operates over 70 stores in more than 30 cities across Germany. With a range of over 10,000 products from across Asia and more than 1,600 employees, the company addresses the growing demand for authentic Asian cuisine from a well-diversified customer base.
H.I.G. is a leading global private capital firm with $76 billion of capital under management. Since its founding in 1993, H.I.G. has invested in and managed more than 400 companies worldwide. The firm’s current portfolio includes more than 100 companies with combined sales in excess of $53 billion.
The Milbank team that advised H.I.G. Capital on this transaction was led by partner Michael Bernhardt (Corporate) and included partners Thomas Ingenhoven (Finance, both Frankfurt), Matthias Schell (Tax) and Alexander Rinne (Antitrust, both Munich), special counsel Gerrit Merkel (Finance) as well as associates Julian Jaschinski, Moritz Jacob, Johannes Smida (all Corporate), Jan-Henrik Busch (Finance, all Frankfurt), Jan Maas (Antitrust) and Nikolas Wolf (Tax, both Munich).
