White & Case LLP - Lawyers - Edward L. Keller

Practice Experience

Edward Lajos Keller is a local partner and member of the Mergers & Acquisitions and Capital Markets practice groups of the Budapest office, having joined the Budapest office from White & Case’s London office.

Edward is a US-qualified attorney concentrating on cross-border M&A and private equity matters. He has represented various private equity groups in acquisitions and dispositions in Hungary, the Czech Republic, Romania and Germany. Edward also has substantial experience in representing public and private issuers, underwriters and selling shareholders (including private equity houses) in both equity and debt offerings, including US-registered public offerings, Rule 144A offerings and Regulation S private placements.

His recent, significant experience in M&A transactions includes advising:

Hungarian Telephone and Cable Corp. (HTCC), Hungary's number one alternative and second-largest fixed-line telecommunications provider, in its €90.5 million purchase of 95.7% of the outstanding equity in Austrian-based Memorex Telex Communications AG, one of the leading alternative infrastructure providers in Central and Eastern Europe;
Invitel Távközlési ZRt. (Invitel) in connection with its purchase of the Hungarian business of Tele2, the Swedish-based alternative telecom operator;
Mid Europa Partners and GMT Communications Funds on all aspects of their investment in Invitel, the second largest fixed-line telecommunications service provider in Hungary, including in the sale of Invitel to Hungarian Telephone & Cable Corp. for a total consideration of €470 million;
Mid Europa Partners in connection with its €0.45 billion acquisition of Baltic mobile operator Bité from TDC;
The shareholders in Karneval Media s.r.o., the second largest Czech cable television company, including Mid Europa Partners, in the company’s €322.5 million sale to Deutsche Bank and JP Morgan, which concluded an equity derivate agreement to sell the company to Liberty Global;
AIG Capital Management Ltd. in connection with its $20 million acquisition of a 30% stake in UTI Group, a Romanian conglomerate with four principal business lines: IT and communications; security and defense; construction and engineering; and facility management;
The shareholders of Euromedic International N.V., the largest private health care services company in Central and Eastern Europe, in connection with the auction sale of the company. The company was ultimately sold to the Warburg Pincus funds;
AIG New Europe Fund in connection with its sale of a 20% stake in TriGranit Holdings, Central Europe’s leading commercial real estate development company to vehicles owned by Lord Nathaniel Rothschild and Sándor Csányi;
The shareholders of Astral Telecom S.A., Romania’s leading broadband telecommunications operator, including AIG Capital Management Ltd., in one of the largest private M&A transactions ever in Romania: the $416.5 million sale of Astral to UPC Romania S.A., an indirect subsidiary of Liberty Global, Inc.; and
An international broadcaster in connection with its contemplated bid to acquire a controlling stake in Antenna Hungaria, the Hungarian national broadcaster, in privatization tender conducted by the Hungarian Privatization and State Holding Company (ÁPV Rt.).

Recent, significant capital markets transactions include:

HTCC, Invitel Rt., and Magyar Telecom B.V. (“Matel”), the Dutch holding company of Invitel, in connection with the offering by HTCC Holdco II B.V. (“HTCC Holdco”), a 100% owned subsidiary of HTCC, of €200 million aggregate principal amount of Floating Rate Notes due in 2013, listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, working in cooperation with White & Case's London office;
Invitel in connection with the company's offering of €125 million floating-rate senior secured PIK Notes due 2013. The notes were issued by a new Dutch Antilles SPV and the proceeds of the offering were used to finance a payment to its private equity shareholders. Credit Suisse Securities (Europe) Limited and BNP Paribas acted as underwriters on the offering. This was the first such issuance by a Central European issuer;
Plaza Centers N.V. and UBS Investments in connection with Plaza Center's successful international public offering of shares listed on the London Stock Exchange. UBS Investments acted as sole book runner. Plaza Centers raised approximately UKP 154 million through the offering;
Republic of Hungary in connection with its $2 billion shelf registration of notes with the US Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the US Securities Act of 1933;
A Hungarian company in connection with its proposed €30 million initial public offering on the Budapest Stock Exchange; and
Representation of a Ukrainian bank in connection with its proposed $150 million bond offering pursuant to Regulation S, with a listing on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange.

Edward's experience is regularly recognized by independent legal publications. He is noted as a leading lawyer by IFLR 1000 (2008) and is recommended in Legal 500 Europe, Middle East & Africa (2007).

Bars and Courts
Budapest Bar, 2008
New York State Bar, 2001

Education
JD, Boston University School of Law, 2000
BA, Binghamton University, 1997

Professional Associations and Memberships
Hungarian Venture Capital Association

Awards and Recognition
IFLR 1000, 2008
Legal 500 Europe, Middle East & Africa, 2007

Speaking Engagements
"Kicking Off an M&A Deal – A Practical Discussion of Non-Disclosure Agreements and Letters of Intent," HVCA and White & Case Seminar, April 29, 2008

Languages
English
French
German
Hungarian

Citizenship
United States