BIRCH assists EFKO Group in securing FAS approval for the acquisition of the manufacturer of sunflower oil "Oleina"

BIRCH’s competition team advised EFKO Group on obtaining clearance from Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) of the transaction on purchase of an agribusiness holding, including Maslenitsa LLC.

The deal includes a sunflower processing plant and bottled oil production facility in Voronezh, along with the ownership of major sunflower oil brands such as Oleina, IDEAL, Maslenitsa, Semenovna, Skazka, and Golden Drop which would strengthen the already impressive lineup of consumer brands in EFKO’s portfolio. Before 2023, the target business operated as a subsidiary of Bunge, a global agribusiness giant.

As part of the project, BIRCH’s lawyers assisted EFKO Group in gathering the necessary documentation, preparing the application, and liaising with the antitrust authority. Working closely with the client’s team, we developed a position on the potential impact of the transaction on the relevant product markets, ultimately securing regulatory approval on favorable terms.

BIRCH team was led by Counsel Alexander Gavrilov with Junior Associate Alexandra Kazeeva providing key support.

Nikita Butenko, Partner BIRCH: "We’re thrilled to support our client's growth and play a role in this milestone deal. Many thanks to EFKO Group for trusting us once again we look forward to seeing the newly acquired business thrive under their leadership."

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