Advising Karlsberg brewery on SME bond issue

Karlsberg Brauerei GmbH, family-owned and managed since 1878, today announced an SME bond issue of up to EUR 30 million. A team of lawyers from commercial law firm Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek, led by Cologne-based partners Ralf M. Schnaittacher and Dr. Thorsten Kuthe, provided legal advice to Karlsberg.

The Karlsberg bond has a par value of EUR 1,000 at a fixed nominal interest rate of 7.375 percent annually and a maturity of 5 years. Admission to the SME bond segment of Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FWB) has been applied for. The subscription period will begin on September 10, 2012 and is expected to continue through September 21, 2012. Proceeds from the bond issue are to be used for diversifying the financing structure and thus among other things advance the growth of the company's private labels.

Karlsberg Brauerei GmbH is a mid-sized company, family-owned since 1878, from the Saarland region, headquartered at Homburg/Saar. Worldwide, the company operates in more than 50 countries as part of the Karlsberg group and serves the classic restaurant industry as well as retailing. The Karlsberg group is one of the leading groups in Germany's beverage industry.

Responsible for the project
Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek:
Ralf M. Schnaittacher (Lead; Financing)
Dr. Thorsten Kuthe (Lead; Capital Market Law),
Stefan Westerheide (Financing)
Dominik Eickemeier (Trademark Law), all Cologne