DLA Piper advises Yamaha Motor on the acquisition of Brose SE’s e-bike subsidiary

DLA Piper – with a team led by Counsel Dr. Isaschar Nicolaysen and Partner Dr. Benjamin Parameswaran (BOTH PICTURED, left to right), with Senior Associate Jan Schlaak as a core team member and the Associate Dr. Tom Lasar – has advised Yamaha Motor on its acquisition of Brose Antriebstechnik GmbH & Co. KG (BAT), the e-bike drive subsidiary of German automotive supplier Brose SE. Since 2014, BAT has specialized in the development and production of e-bike drive systems. The transaction is subject to the necessary regulatory approvals.

Yamaha Motor will acquire BAT through its newly established German subsidiary, Yamaha Motor eBike Systems GmbH, which is set to commence operations in June 2025. This acquisition will enable Yamaha Motor to expand and strengthen its presence in Europe, offering a broader range of high-quality products and customized solutions for the e-bike market.

By acquiring BAT, Yamaha Motor aims to leverage BAT’s development expertise in e-bike technology to further enhance its product planning and development capabilities. Additionally, by establishing a development hub in Europe, Yamaha Motor intends to respond swiftly to market demands, cater to local customer requirements, attract new clients, and improve sourcing opportunities in the European market.

Takeo Kitanaka, Executive Officer and Head of the Global Risk, Compliance, Legal & IP Center, who led the transaction’s legal aspects on behalf of Yamaha Motor, commented: “Once again, the dedicated commitment and outstanding advice of the DLA Piper team have proven to be a key factor in enabling Yamaha Motor to successfully complete a complex cross-border transaction. It is always an absolute pleasure to navigate challenging waters with such a talented team.”

Additional team members from DLA Piper involved in the transaction included:

• Partners Dr. Henriette Norda (Employment, Hamburg), Dr. Thilo von Bodungen (Commercial, Munich), Dr. Nico Brunotte (IT, Hamburg), Dr. Burkhard Führmeyer (IP, Frankfurt), Verena Grentzenberg (Data Protection, Hamburg), Dr. Konrad Rohde (Tax), Fabian Mühlen (Real Estate), Dr. Wolfram Distler (Finance, all Frankfurt).
• Counsel Dr. Enno Ahlenstiel (Antitrust), Dr. Thilo Streit (Public Business Law, both Cologne), Georg Haberkorn (Munich), Jörn Manhart (both Pensions, Düsseldorf), Raffaella Rusin (Tax, Munich).
• Senior Associates Dr. Katharina Fischer (Employment, Hamburg), Marisa Machacek (IP, Frankfurt), Dr. Betina Fischer (Hamburg), Gerald Baumgartner (both Commercial, Munich), Ilgin Ayhan (Finance, Frankfurt), David Schele (Hamburg), Andreas Rüdiger (both Data Protection, Cologne).
• Associates Julia Goetzendorff (Antitrust, Cologne), Dr. Julian Zimara (IP, Frankfurt), Jonas Riesenkampff (IT, Hamburg), Tina Popp (Real Estate, Frankfurt), Janina Strunk (Regulatory, Cologne).
• Transaction Specialist Arne Klingelhöfer (Finance, Frankfurt).