Binder Grösswang Advises Kärntner Beteiligungsverwaltung and ÖBB Infrastruktur AG on Establishment of Joint Venture to Create “Dry Port Villach”
Binder Grösswang, as transaction counsel, comprehensively advised Carinthia’s provincial holdings management Kärntner Beteiligungsverwaltung and the Austrian Federal Railways infrastructure company ÖBB Infrastruktur AG on the establishment of a joint venture pertaining to the logistics agency Logistik Center Austria Süd GmbH (LCA). In the context of this joint venture there are plans to realize a so-called “dry port” at the location Villach/Fürnitz.
This hinterland port is intended to provide a fully-fledged transport corridor connection to the port of Trieste. In addition, a customs corridor is to be set up between Villach and Trieste, making it possible to conduct all customs activities for imports and exports in Villach.
The goal of the transaction is to strengthen the location as a logistics centre, create new jobs in the region and enhance the connection to the logistics hub of Trieste.
The signing of the transaction took place on 6 October 2020 at the premises of Binder Grösswang. It was preceded by negotiations that began in November of 2019 and were continued even during the lockdown in the spring of 2020 under difficult conditions. The closing of the transaction is subject to approval by antitrust authorities and is expected to take place in the second half of November 2020.
The Binder Grösswang corporate/M&A team was led by Christian Zwick (partner) and Moritz Salzgeber (attorney at law) and was supported by Johannes Barbist (partner) and Regina Kröll (attorney at law) for regulatory law issues, as well as Christine Dietz (partner) and Miriam Imarhiagbe (associate) for antitrust issues.