Capgemini, a frontrunner in consulting, technology services, and digital transformation, has recently announced the acquisition of HDL Design House, a premier provider of silicon design and verification services in Europe. This strategic move strengthens Capgemini's global silicon engineering capabilities, underscoring its role as a key driver in the intelligent industry revolution. HDL Design House was founded in 2001 and with its headquarters in Belgrade, Serbia, HDL Design House is celebrated for its deep expertise in crafting advanced custom chip designs that cater to various industrial sectors. HDL Design House retains strong bonds and cooperates with HDL Design Greece P.C., established in 2015 by the same shareholders in Salonica, Greece. The transaction involved the acquisition of both Serbian and Greek entities by Capgemini Consulting.
The legal expertise and advisory provided by Moussas & Partners Law Firm were crucial in facilitating this acquisition for Capgemini, ensuring compliance, due diligence, and a seamless transition ahead, during and after the transaction.
Can you describe Moussas & Partners' role in the acquisition of HDL Design House by Capgemini Consulting and the key contributions your firm made to this transaction?
Moussas & Partners Law Firm advised Capgemini Consulting from start to finish of this exciting deal. Our Firm, specialized in complex M&A transactions and in its capacity as the exclusive legal counsel of Capgemini in Greece, conducted a full legal due diligence review of the Greek target with an emphasis on corporate information and documentation, material contracts, employment issues, IP rights and GDPR compliance. We provided legal advice – throughout the transaction – on detailed employment, compliance and regulatory matters and further assisted on the preparation and drafting of transaction documents supporting Capgemini up to completion. We continue to advise Capgemini on various issues in the context of our post-acquisition integration support. Our M&A team has been led by our Partners, Maria Malikouti and Charalampos Kondis, while our Senior Associate, Eirini Kontrafouri and our Associate, Konstantina Margariti played a pivotal role in ensuring a smooth completion of this demanding project. Our team advised Capgemini together with Karanovic & Partners, who advised on aspects of Serbian law in relation to this project.
What were the most challenging legal aspects of this acquisition, and how did Moussas & Partners navigate these complexities to facilitate a successful agreement between the parties involved?
We were involved in a complex management of a multi-faceted transaction and documentation process, pertaining to the highly evolving sector of silicon design and verification services. Aspects of utmost importance for this transaction included GDPR, regulatory compliance, employment law and IP rights. Any and all complexities have been addressed and accommodated successfully to ultimately meet our client’s best needs, through the hands-on involvement of our team; it has definitely been a true team effort, including our colleagues from Karanovic & Partners, with whom we had the honor and privilege to cooperate on this engagement.
In transactions such as the Capgemini Consulting and HDL Design House deal, how does Moussas & Partners ensure that due diligence is thorough and that all potential risks are mitigated?
Building on our previous and distinguished M&A experience, we keep allocating our resources on the basis of our people’s expertise. In this manner, we are better positioned to identify any risks arising out of the due diligence process, classify these on the basis of their importance and at the same time suggest proper solutions for their mitigation, through the preparation/drafting of transactional documents.
Could you discuss the significance of this acquisition in the context of the Greek technology sector and the role Moussas & Partners plays in shaping the industry's legal landscape?
Through this acquisition, Capgemini’s global silicon engineering capabilities, which were already among the world’s largest, shall further extend. HDL Design House comprises numerous highly skilled engineers, with a substantial experience to deliver advanced custom chip designs for multiple industries. HDL’s clients include major players in the semiconductor industry, as well as leading Original Equipment Manufacturers, who are harnessing the full potential of chips to create intelligent and connected products. This transaction allows Capgemini to significantly reinforce its semiconductor presence in Europe, being a key destination for this strategic industry. We are proud to have contributed to the re-shape of European and Greek technology sector, an experience which has further equipped our Firm with deep knowledge of this highly evolving sector.
Looking beyond the completion of the transaction, what kind of post-acquisition integration support does Moussas & Partners provide, and how critical is this for the success of such international deals?
We are advising Capgemini Consulting on post – completion matters, on issues mainly relating to corporate, tax and social security law arising out of the integration of the HDL Design Greece P.C. within the Capgemini Group and the manner in which the Greek entity shall operate in the future. As a Firm we do not exhaust the provision of our services up to the completion of a project. We rather emphasize and are eager to maintain our advisory role on a post-acquisition integration support level, since this is the ultimate purpose of a cross-border transaction and international deal, serving fully and best the needs and interests of our clients.
