Damian Beaven concentrates on international corporate and commercial transactions. He has significant experience in domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, private equity investments and exits, and privatizations in CEE and CIS.

Mr. Beaven relocated to Prague from London in 2000. He is ranked by numerous legal publications as a regional expert.

Representative transactions include:

• Representation of the PPF Group in connection with its joint venture with the Italian listed insurer Generali. This is one of the largest joint ventures created in CEE with joint assets valued at, approximately, €5.1 billion;
• Representation of RWE Gas with respect to the privatization of Transgas, the Czech gas transporter, and eight regional gas distribution companies. This transaction represents the largest privatization in the Czech Republic to date, valued at approximately, €4.1 billion;
• Representation of CEZ, the Czech energy company, with regard to its €309 million acquisition of TEC Varna, Bulgaria's second largest thermal power plant and its €280 million acquisition of three Bulgarian distribution companies. Mr. Beaven also advised CEZ on bids for energy assets in Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Kosovo;
• Representation of CGS, one of the largest agricultural tyre manufacturers, in connection with the acquisition of a manufacturing facility in Rumaguma, Serbia, from GPX International;
• Representation of the Honeywell Group with respect to its acquisition of a security hardware and services business and general corporate matters in the Czech Republic;
• Representation of Invitel, the Hungarian telecommunications company, in connection with its acquisition of Memorex Telecommunications and its regional cable network;
• Representation of AIG in connection with the sale of its shares in Jet Finance, the leading Bulgarian consumer finance provider, by way of private tender to the French Cetelem Group;
• Representation of Zentiva, the listed Czech pharmaceuticals group, in connection with its €213 million acquisition of Sicomed, a listed Romanian generics company. The acquisition was followed by a public tender offer for the remaining shares listed on the Bucharest stock exchange;
• Representation of Generali PPF with respect to its acquisition of majority stakes in the Romanian insurers ARDAF and RAI. The acquisition was followed by a public tender offer for the remaining ARDAF shares listed on the Bucharest stock exchange;
• Representation of TDC (formerly TeleDanmark) in connection with the privatization of České Radiokomunikace, the largest Czech radio communications company and its disposal of Contactel, a local mobile operator; and
• Representation of Celestica Europe in connection with its purchase of a major telecommunications facility in the Czech Republic from Sagem.

Private Equity Focus

• Representation of Falcon Group, a consortium of investors 75% controlled by funds managed or advised by Mid Europa Partners, in its auction sale of 100% of České Radiokomunikace, a.s. ("CRa") to three funds managed by Macquarie for total consideration of approximately €574 million. This was the second-largest private equity exit of the year in the CEE region;
• Advisory to the founding shareholders of our long-term client Studio Moderna, a media sales group with operations in 21 jurisdictions across CEE and CIS, with respect to the sale of a minority stake (20%) to a group of private equity investors led by General Atlantic LLC;
• Representation of Istrabenz, a financial holding company based in Slovenia, with respect to its €382 million sale of Droga Kolinska, a Southeastern European food and beverage company, to Atlantic Grupa, a Croatian food and healthcare company. The acquisition of Droga Kolinska by Atlantic Grupa has created one of the largest food companies in Southeastern Europe;
• Representation of Genesis Capital with respect to investments into Candy Plus and Pietro Filipi in the Czech Republic;
• Representation of Warburg Pincus with regard to its investment into, and exit from, Euromedic, the leading pan-European medical service provider specializing in diagnostics investigations, renal care services and teleradiology services;
• Representation of the Riverside private equity fund with respect to its exits from portfolio companies Spofa Dental, Carborundum Electrite and Primalex; and
• Representation of 3i with respect to its investment, through BKS Capital, into a number of cable operators in the Czech Republic.

Energy Focus

• Representation of Gazprombank, in connection with the acquisition by Gazprom of a stake in OAO Novatek, Russia's second largest gas producer; and
• Representation of International Metallurgical Holding, a Russian group focused on metallurgical mills, coke plants and coal-mining enterprises, with regard to its sale of NIKOM, a Czech iron and steel mills operator, to the Evraz Group.

Real Estate Focus

• Representation of GE Real Estate with respect to its various commercial and residential investments in the Czech and Slovak Republics and Bulgaria; and
• Representation of Passer Invest, a local Czech developer, in connection with its disposal of a large commercial development in Prague to Heitman International.

Mr. Beaven commenced his legal career in 1996 with Gouldens in London, where he was involved in a number of corporate and commercial transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, equity offerings and public takeovers.

He regularly lectures at Charles University on contract law and drafting.

Bars and Courts
Law Society of England and Wales
Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales
Czech Bar Association (foreign lawyer), 2001

Education
LPC, Nottingham Law School, United Kingdom, 1996
LLB, Law (European), University of Warwick, United Kingdom, 1995
University of Hamburg, Germany, 1994

Awards and Recognition
Mr. Beaven was named in Chambers Global 2011 among CEE's leading Corporate/M&A lawyers. He was also listed among the leading Corporate/M&A lawyers in the Czech Republic in PLC Which Lawyer, 2011, IFLR 1000, 2011, Legal 500, 2010. In the area of Private Equity Investment / Venture Capital Mr. Beaven was named in PLC Which Lawyer?, 2010 among the leading lawyers in the Czech Republic.
"A fantastic practitioner, he goes beyond the call of a typical lawyer and is extremely, skilled, responsive and dedicated"
(Chambers Europe, 2011)
"knowing what he is looking for and achieving it in a constructive way."
(Chambers Global, 2010)

Languages
English
German

Citizenship
British