Sayenko Kharenko has acted as Ukrainian legal counsel to Anheuser-Busch InBev S.A./N.V., and SUN InBev Ukraine in relation to the combination of the Russian and Ukrainian businesses and assets of AB InBev and Anadolu Efes Biracilik ve Malt Sanayii AS and the creation of a joint venture. Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton acted as AB InBev’s Global Counsel, while Efes was represented by Norton Rose Fulbright.
As a result of the combination of the Russian and Ukrainian businesses, the joint venture company AB InBev Efes BV will operate 14 brewing factories and two malting plants through its subsidiaries. The approximate value of the combined businesses and assets is EUR 1.69 billion.
According to Sayenko Kharenko, “the deal appears to be the biggest joint venture in the beer industry and one of the most significant Ukrainian M&A transactions over the last few years.”
AB InBev is a transnational beverage and brewing corporation. Its brand portfolio includes, among others, Budweiser, Corona, Stella Artois, Leffe, Hoegarden, Franziskaner Weissbier and Lowenbrau. Ukrainian brands include Chernihivske, Rohan, Taller, and Yantar.
Efes is an international brewing company. Its brand portfolio comprises such trademarks as Velcopopovicky Kozel, Miller, Beck’s, and Efes.
The Sayenko Kharenko team was supervised by Partners Vladimir Sayenko and Oleksandr Nikolaichyk and included Counsels Dmytro Korbut, Oleg Klymchuk, and Maksym Nazarenko, Senior Associate Julia Kuyda, and Associates Ilhar Hakhramanov, Mykola Lykhoglyad, and Igor Pomaz.
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton and Norton Rose Fulbright did not reply to an inquiry about the deal.
Editor's Note: After this article was published, Asters announced that it worked alongside Norton Rose Fulbright in advising Anadolu Efes and Efes Ukraine PrJSC. The firm's team was led by Partner Vadym Samoilenko, with Counsel Oles Kyvat advising on corporate, commercial and regulatory law, Partner Julia Semeniy advisng on intellectual property law, Partner Roman Kostenko advising on real estate matters, and Partner Igor Svechkar and Counsel Sergiy Glushcenko advising on antitrust matters.
