Dewey calls up purchaser team for Polish mobile operator sale

Dewey & LeBoeuf scored a top role representing purchaser Spartan Capital Holdings, which is controlled indirectly by Polish media tycoon Zygmunt Solorz-Zak, handling both the acquisition and financing for the investment. Dewey’s Warsaw managing partner Jaroslaw Grzesiak led the team.

The sale attracted widespread interest from bidders, with Spartan beating offers from Apax Partners and Nordic phone company Telenor Group.

The acquisition is being financed through a combination of equity provided by Spartan and a debt financing package arranged by a ­consortium of banks coordinated by Crédit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank and Deutsche Bank.

Latham & Watkins, ­Norton Rose and White & Case advised the finance parties, with London banking partner Chris Kandel leading the Latham team, Norton Rose partner Piotr Strawa acting as Polish counsel and White & Case partner Kevin Ng acting as security agent.

Polkomtel’s vendors include Poland’s largest power group Polska Grupa Energetyczna (PGE), oil refiner and petrochemical giant PKN Orlen, Polish copper company KGHM Polska Miedz, Polish coal exporter Weglokoks and mobile operator Vodafone.

PGE was advised by Allen & Overy partner Jacek Michalski, PKN Orlen by Clifford Chance partner Agnieszka Janicka, KGHM by Gide partner Dariusz Tokarczuk, and Vodafone by K&L Gates partner Maciej Jamka. Weglokoks was advised in-house.

Swedish firms Cederquist and Vinge provided Swedish law advice on the deal, and L Papaphilippou & Co ­provided Cypriot law advice.