![Photo: Stefan Münch, Partner at Bird & Bird, Munich (©twobirds.com)](https://cdn.fyb.de/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/stefan-muenche-birdbird-twobirds-400x400.jpeg)
Rocket Software acquires part of Open Text
Munich — The software company Rocket Software, Inc. has acquired the Application Modernization and Connectivity (“AMC”) division of Open Text, formerly part of MicroFocus. — Rocket Software was advised by the international law firm Bird & Bird in various countries. At the US level, Rocket Software was advised on the transaction by Kirkland & Ellis. Bird & Bird had previously advised Rocket Software on the acquisition of all shares in the German software company B.O.S..
Rocket Software has decades of experience solving complex IT challenges for the largest and most innovative organizations. With the acquisition of the AMC business, Rocket Software can now offer its customers modernization software solutions ranging from the mainframe to the cloud and has built a more diverse portfolio that is closely aligned with customer needs.
Bird & Bird advised Rocket Software on the current transaction in 27 jurisdictions mainly in Europe and Asia (Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Australia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore) with its own lawyers and retained partner law firms. At the end of 2023, the focus was on supporting European aspects of the purchase agreement and then, following the agreement, on the transfer of AMC employees.
The purchase agreement was signed at the end of November 2023 and concluded on May 1, 2024.
The cooperation between the law firm and Rocket Software came about through a contact between the Munich M&A partner Stefan Münch and Rocket Software. Munich employment law partner Dr. Ralph Panzer and his team took the lead in supporting Rocket Software’s people team and coordinating the largely employment law issues. Bird & Bird was once again able to demonstrate its expertise in advising on international projects in this transaction.
Consultant Rocket Software
Bird & Bird: Partner Stefan Münch, Counsel Dr. Christina Lorenz, LL.M. and associates Kilian Hummel and Marina Dolina, LL.M. (all corporate/M&A, Munich/Frankfurt), partner Dr. Ralph Panzer (lead) and associates Dr. Maximilian Koch, Christoph Lutz and Vincent Kirsch (all employment law, Munich), partner Thomas Hey and associates Alisa Nentwig and Julia Bellinger (all employment law, Düsseldorf), partner Dr. Rolf Schmich (tax law, Frankfurt), partner Amedeo Rampolla and associate Marco Preti (both employment law, Milan (Italy)), partner Stefano Silvestri and associates Linda Pietrostefani and Giorgio Cesari (all corporate/M&A, Milan (Italy)), partner Miguel Pastur and associate Carlos Zabala (both employment law, Madrid (Spain)), partner Lourdes Ayala, associates Antonio Ballesteros and Mónica Sangalli (all corporate/M&A, Madrid (Spain)), partner Nathalie Devernay (employment law, Lyon (France)), partner Bertrand Levy, partner Etienne Guillou, associate Clémence Breuil and paralegal Laura Dauthuille (all corporate/M&A, Paris (France)), partner Philip Hartman and associate Anne-Aimée Dabekaussen (both employment law, The Hague (Netherlands)), partner Katarina Åhlberg and associate Dasha Arntyr (both employment law, Stockholm (Sweden)), partner Teea Kemppinen and associate Noora Heinonen (both employment law, Helsinki (Finland)), partner Pieter de Koster, partner Anton Aerts and associate Jehan de Wasseige (all employment law, Brussels (Belgium)), partner Cedric Berckmans, counsel Erik Holmgren and associate Stan Prenen (all corporate/M&A, Brussels (Belgium)), Partner Brendan O’Brien, Associates Daniel Faulkner and Nadine McMahon, Corporate Paralegal Conor Delaney and Trainee Ed Carroll (all Corporate/M&A, Dublin (Ireland)), Partner Karolina Stawicka and Associate Pawel Wyrebek (both Employment Law, Warsaw (Poland)), Partner Diana Purdy and Associate Jacky Chan (both Employment Law, Hong Kong), Partner Seow Hui Goh and Associate Samantha Lau (both Employment Law, Singapore), Partner Sandra Seah and Counsel Jonathan Kao (both Corporate/M&A, Singapore).
In-house counsel: Matthew L. Vittiglio (Associate General Counsel, Waltham (United States)
Kirkland & Ellis: Andrew Struckmeyer (Partner, Corporate, Chicago (United States))
Law firms in Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Switzerland, Brazil, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico and Malaysia were also commissioned.