Daniel Voicu is a managing partner of Voicu & Filipescu and one of the firm’s founders. He advises international and Romanian clients on a wide range of issues under Romanian law, including corporate, mergers and acquisitions, real estate, construction, contracts. Daniel Voicu is highly experienced in privatization, having acted for different foreign investors in all stages of privatization, including initiating, auction, negotiation and performance of contracts. His clients portfolio comprises multinational companies active in various industries like food & beverages, telecommunications, healthcare and pharma, tobacco, real estate development, chemicals, logistics, management consulting, tires, banking.
Daniel Voicu founded Voicu & Filipescu in 2001, by means of the acquisition together with Mugur Filipescu of the Romanian office of the international US based law firm of Arent Fox Kitner Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC, in which he had been a Senior Romanian Attorney for three years. His work experience also includes the Romanian Legal Consultant position with Taylor Johnson Garret (1997-1998), and the Partner position in Daniel Voicu Law Office (1995-1997), following his initial two years Junior Lawyer position with Ioan Ciongariu Law Office.
Key Projects – Corporate, Mergers & Acquisitions
• Assisted Kinetic Sports and Medicine, the leading local provider of recover sports medicine services, regarding the transfer of business to the biggest private medical services provider in Romania, also integrating the management team of the seller, including assistance from negotiation and up to the completion of the transaction documents and implementation of the business transfer.
• Assisted Bemis, one of the top global suppliers of flexible packaging, a US based buyer, in acquiring a local group of companies acting in the same industry, as part of its European extension plan; services rendered included the due diligence exercise over the targeted companies, provided comprehensive advice in relation to the remedy actions to be implemented in view of the successful closing of the deal and assisted the buyer during the negotiation and completion of the transaction documents.
• Assisted Bertschi AG, a Swiss transport company providing logistics and transport for the chemical industry, in the transfer of business to be made by a group of local companies operating an intermodal transportation terminal located in a hub region for transportation services. Services provided included the due diligence investigation over the targets and negotiating the business transfer implementation mechanism and the transaction documents.
• Assisted Grupul Editorial Art, a local publishing house, active in the sector of children book titles and educational book titles in the transfer of part of its business activity and making a joint venture with a German based group of companies, one of the leading European publishing houses in educational materials, dedicated both to scholastic and adult education. Services provided included assistance with negotiation and completion of the shareholders agreement underlying the joint venture, as well as with the establishment of the venture and the initial transfer of the business line to the new company.
• Assistance of an important City Hall of a city in Romania with approx. 115,000 inhabitants in a series of litigation cases, including conflicts with Compania de Apa, complaints against decisions of Curtea de Conturi (Court of Accounts – state authority with attributions of control for use of public funds), problematic insolvency cases having the City Hall as a majority creditor (over 150 files) and also legal claims against individuals who failed to pay their taxes to the local budget, as well as in the complex audit services for the period 2012-2016, including analysis of contracts, different commercial operations, implementation of Court of Accounts decisions, execution of court decisions, and others.
• Represented international TV cable operator UGC Europe B.V. (Liberty Media Inc) in the acquisition of Astral Telecom S.A., Romanian market leader in this area, by way of acquisition of shares for a price exceeding US$ 400 million.
• Advised as Romanian counsel Fujikura Ltd., one of the largest Japanese manufacturers of wire harnesses and other automotive components in the acquisition process of Automotive Group, a Spanish specialized corporation evaluated at EUR 150 million with production units in Spain, Mexico and Romania.
• Advised A&D Pharma Group, the largest pharmaceuticals distribution company in Romania, by seconding one of its attorneys at the client headquarters in connection with listing 30% of its ordinary shares in the form of Global Depositary Receipts on the London Stock Exchange totaling EUR 120 million, including preparation of the data-room, assistance during the due-diligence, supervision of the restructuring process of the Group and drafting of the Prospectus.
• Assistance to Bel Rom, one of the most active real estate developers active on the Romanian market, in its share deals for the sale of various of its investments in Romania, by transactions raging between EUR 19 and EUR 90 million.
• Advised KD Group, a Slovenian financial corporation with presence in the South-East Europe with regard to the entire process of establishment of a brokerage company in Romania, including the licensing process with National Securities Commission.
• Advised the largest company for the distribution of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics in Romania, Mediplus SRL, with respect to the extension of its activity on the Bulgarian, Ukrainian and Russian markets.
• Advised Cream Line, a major Greek company, active in the food industry, part of Chipita listed on the Athens stock exchange, with respect to the acquisition of the Romanian entity minority shareholders’ participations.
• Advised Coca-Cola HBC S.A. / The Coca-Cola Company in the acquisition of the third Romanian mineral water producer, Dorna Apemin, including conducting extensive due diligence investigation of the company, drafting and negotiating all the necessary documentation for the acquisition and further implementation of the formalities with the state authorities.
• Advised Brewery Holdings Limited (Advent International and Jupiter Asset Management) in the entire exit process by sale of its stake in the three breweries (Grivita International S.A., Bere Miercurea Ciuc S.A. and Haber International S.A.) to Austrian Breweries International Gesellschaft m.b.H. for a total consideration of EUR 164 million.
• Advised Brewery Holdings Limited (Advent International and Jupiter Asset Management) in purchasing three Romanian breweries (Grivita International S.A., Haber International S.A. and Bere Miercurea Ciuc S.A.) from the Spanish investor Sociedad Exploataciones Manantiales, including representation during the full due diligence investigation of the companies, preparing a report of conclusions after inspecting the factories and providing legal support on the implementation of the further issues pursuant the acquisition, also covering competition issues.
• Advised 12 large Romanian companies active in the food and detergent industries, in view of creating the first company for the management of packaging waste affiliated to the international “Green Dot” network.
• Assistance to the shareholders of the Coifer group of companies, specialized in metal constructions, in the sale of the companies to the Polish market leader, Polimex-Mostostal; project value: EUR 25 million.
Competition
• Represented international TV cable operator UGC Europe B.V. (Liberty Media Inc) in front of the Competition Council pursuant the acquisition of Astral Telecom S.A., Romanian market leader in this area, by way of acquisition of shares. The resulting market share exceeded 30%.
• Advised Morrison & Foerster on the Romanian competition issues related to the international transaction between Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. and Matsushita Electric Works.
• Represented Goodyear Dunlop Tires Romania S.R.L. in front of the Competition Council in the process of granting exemptions on several exclusive distribution agreements. The market share of Goodyear Dunlop Tires Romania S.R.L. ranges between 3 and 30%, depending on the type of the tires.
• Represented E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company in front of the Competition Council pursuant the establishment of the international joint venture with Bunge Limited.
• Represented Bunge Limited / Edison S.p.A. in front of the Competition Council pursuant the international acquisition by Bunge Limited of Cereol S.A.
• Represented Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company S.A. / The Coca-Cola Company in front of the Competition Council in the process of notification pursuant the acquisition of the third mineral water company Dorna Apemin. Dorna Apemin had 13% of the Romanian relevant market.
• Represented Brewery Holdings Limited in front of the Competition Council in the process of notifications pursuant the consolidation of the Romanian group of companies. The group had 16% of the relevant market.
Real Estate
• Advised Bel Rom, one of the most active developers of retail parks on the Romanian market, in the sale to New Europe Property Investments of European Retail Park Braila developed by the client, in the largest real estate transaction of 2009 by value, in amount of EUR 63 million.
• Represented the Israeli real estate developer Tehnogrup during the entire process of acquisition of several plots of land exceeding 13 ha located in the North-Est, as well as in the West of Bucharest for a price exceeding EUR 10 million designed for construction of a residential complex.
• Advised the Flemish real estate developer Bel Rom during the entire process of acquisition of several plots of land of approximately 12.5 ha located in Focsani and of approximately 13 ha located in Braila.
• Advised British Investment Fund during the process of acquisition of a plot of land of 10 ha located in Ploiesti for a price exceeding EUR 7.5 million, as well as on aspects regarding the Romanian market necessary for the listing of the fund on AIM market.
• Advised the Flemish real estate developer Bel Rom during the entire process of acquisition of 17 plots of land totaling more than 10 ha in Bacau in order to build a retail park.
• Advised Hanner UA B, one of the leading Latvian real estate developers, with regard to the due diligence on the plot of land exceeding 1.7 ha located in Bucharest, Marasesti Boulevard for developing a residential park.
• Advised DuPont Romania SRL with regard to the negotiation and drafting of the lease agreement for the space of its headquarters in Romania.
• Represented Coca-Cola HBC Romania SRL during the process of acquisition of 1.8 ha of land to be used for extending the production facility, including advising on the due diligence on the real estate, negotiation with the owners of the acquisition documents, rezoning the land and the related formalities with courts, land book, cadastral system and tax authorities.
• Represented Land Development Project S.R.L.’s interests during the negotiation and drafting of the lease agreement with Praktiker for the opening of one store/warehouse in Military Shopping Center.
Banking & Finance
• Represented Goodyear Dunlop Tires Europe B.V. as Romanian counsel in the process of re-financing the Senior Secured Term Loan and Revolving Credit Agreement of EUR 505 million. Advised on the finance documents applicable to the Romanian entity.
• Represented European Bank for Reconstruction and Development as Romanian counsel in negotiation and drafting of the finance documents for granting a loan of EUR 16 million to East Point Holdings Limited.
• Represented European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in negotiation and drafting of the finance documents for granting a EUR 18 million loan to CNTEE „Transelectrica” SA to be used for the construction of a 110 km over-head electric transmission line.
• Represented Land Development Proiect S.R.L. in the negotiation and drafting of the loan and securities documentation related to the facility agreement granted by HVB Bank Romania S.A. to Land Development Proiect S.R.L. (managed by Liebrecht & Wood S.R.L.) for building Militari Shopping Centre.
• Represented Metro Machine Corp. in the negotiation and drafting of the securities documentation related to the US$19.4 million finance granted by Wachovia Bank to Metro Machine Corp. for building of 40,000 LT Lifting Capacity Translating Encapsulating Module, Hull no. 7015 at Daewoo Mangalia Heavy Industries, including issuance of legal opinion.
• Represented ING Bank in reviewing the corporate and finance documentation of Media Pro Group concerning the restructuring of the Facility Agreement granted by ING Bank.
