Hitachi Rail announced the completion of its €1,660m acquisition of Thales’ Ground Transportation Systems (GTS) business, a global leader in rail signaling and train control systems, telecommunications and supervision systems and fare collection solutions.
Hitachi Rail is right at the forefront of the global mobility sector following the acquisition. It strengthens the company’s strategic focus on helping current and potential Hitachi Rail and GTS customers through the sustainable mobility transition.
Hitachi Rail’s key locations in Japan, Italy, the UK and the US are strategically complemented by GTS’ large centres in Germany, France, Spain and Canada (expanding its global presence to 51 countries) – with both businesses having an established reputation in the wider European market, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.
The Clifford Chance team was composed in Paris of Laurent Schoenstein, partner, Julien Brun, counsel, Alice Declercq and Charlotte Hershkovitch, associates, and Anouck Peter on the M&A aspects; David Tayar, partner, Clémence Carlier, Antoine Réco and Hendrik Coppoolse, associates, on the antitrust aspects; Dessislava Savova, partner, Jérémy Guilbault, Alexandre Balducci, Nina Khalfi-Lanoux and Lisa Fournier, associates, on the tech and data protection aspects; as well as Pierre-Benoit Pabot du Châtelard, partner, Fabien Jacquemard, senior counsel, Hugues Martin-Sisteron, counsel, Guilhem Dardoize and Santiago Ramirez, associates, on the finance aspects.
The team was also composed of lawyers from other offices, including Jonathan Dillon, partner, and Sarah Bowe, associate, on the M&A aspects; Jennifer Storey, partner, Nivi Balaji, Jordan Bernstein and Sophie Scholl, associates, on the antitrust aspects; Paul Carrington and Michael Pearson, partners, and Jessica Du Toit, associate, on the finance aspects (London); Belén Irissarry, counsel, on the antitrust aspects, Juan Valcárcel and Andreina Velásquez, associates, on the M&A aspects, and Marc Casas, associate, on the public law aspects (Madrid); Natsuko Sugihara, partner, on the M&A aspects, and Masato Fujinaka, associate, on the finance aspects (Tokyo); as well as Kelly Gregory, partner, and Peter Zhao, associate, on the M&A aspects (Shanghai), notably advised on the deal too.
