Jan Andruško

Partner, Prague

Biography

“He is a brilliant lawyer and strategist so there is great value in him. He understands business and legal risk and is very hands-on, which is the biggest advantage of working with him.” (Chambers Europe, 2022)

“He is very strong on the business side.”

Overview

Jan Andruško is a partner in our global M&A practice based in Prague, a member of the EMEA Private Equity team and head of the firm’s Central & Eastern Europe technology, media & telecommunications practice.

Over the last two decades, Jan has advised leading global and regional private equity houses, infrastructure funds and other financial sponsor clients, various technology, telecommunications, media and energy companies on significant regional cross-border and domestic transactions acquisitions, disposals, joint ventures, co-investments and restructuring. Jan has a particular focus on technology, media & telecommunications, private equity and infrastructure & energy. 

Jan has a broad range of experience from media and telecommunications, where he represented leading players in the region of Central and Eastern Europe, including the leading media and broadcasting groups in Central & Eastern Europe and the Czech Republic, leading media agencies, content providers and providers of on-line services in connection with the various key projects involving acquisitions, mergers, restructuring, financing, general corporate advice, labor issues, the negotiation of distribution contracts, the preparation of general sales policies, various anti-trust and regulatory issues, the digitalization process, authors’ rights and various copyright issues, as well as advice regarding the preparation and/or amendments of the material media & telecommunication legislation.

Jan has unique managerial and business experience, which he gained as Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Nova Group, a leading TV and media group in the Czech Republic, between 2011 and 2013.

Bars and Courts
Czech Bar Association
Education
Master's Degree
Charles University, Faculty of Law
Prague, Czech Republic
Languages
Czech
English

Experience

Jan Andruško has represented, among others, the following clients:

PPF Group on its sale of 30% of shares of CETIN Group, a leading wholesale provider of active and passive telecommunications infrastructure services in the Central and Eastern Europe region, to GIC, a sovereign wealth fund established by the Government of Singapore to manage Singapore's foreign reserves.

PPF Group, EP Investment and Rockaway on their sale of the jointly held 100% shares of Mall Group, one of the biggest e-commerce groups in Central and Eastern Europe, and WE|DO, a last mile delivery expert.

PPF Group on the USD 2.1 billion acquisition of CME which operates leading TV stations in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.

PPF Group on its EUR 2.8 billion acquisition of Telenor's telecommunications assets in Central & Eastern Europe, the-then largest M&A transaction in the CEE telecoms sector, and the-then largest loan syndication in the region, since 2011.

Avast, the FTSE 100 global leader in digital security and privacy, on its USD 9.2 billion merger with NortonLifeLock. Both companies operate in the cybersecurity space and the combined entity should be market-leading.

Avast on its USD 816.6 million initial public offering (IPO), the-then biggest ever software IPO on the London Stock Exchange (LSE).

Avast in the USD 1.3 billion acquisition of AVG Technologies, a developer of business, mobile and PC device security software applications, by way of a public tender offer.

Rohlik Group, one of Europe's leading online grocery businesses in connection with its Series C funding, during which Rohlik Group raised EUR 100 million, with a valuation of EUR 1 billion, making it a start-up unicorn.

Rohlik Group on its Series B round investment of approximately EUR 190 million.

CVC Capital Partners, a private equity and investment advisory firm, on its acquisition of a minority stake in FutureLife, an assisted reproduction and genetics business headquartered in the Czech Republic and with clinics across the Central & Eastern Europe, Netherlands, Finland, the UK, Ireland, Romania and Estonia.

Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund II, Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund III and the Macquarie Mercer Infrastructure Trust on the sale of České Radiokomunikace, a leading telecommunications, media and technology infrastructure and services provider in the Czech Republic, to Cordiant Digital Infrastructure.

MVM Group, Hungary's state-owned energy group, on its acquisition of the entire share capital in innogy Česká republika from innogy/E.ON Group.

Česká spořitelna, Komerční banka, Société Générale and WOOD & Company as joint global coordinators and joint bookrunners in connection with the initial public offering of shares of CZG - Česká zbrojovka Group, one of the leading European producers of firearms for military and law enforcement, personal defence, hunting and sport shooting, and their listing on the Prague Stock Exchange.

PPF Group in the acquisition of Telenor Banka, a Serbian bank specializing in innovative online financial services.

PPF Group in connection with the sale of 25% stake in its Telenor Hungarian companies (Telenor Hungary and Telenor Real Estate) to Antenna Hungária.

PPF Group in the sale of a part of the agricultural real estate of the RAV Agro holding in Orel, Russia to Miratorg, a Russian agribusiness holding company.

PPF Group on the purchase of 19.2% of the American Depositary Shares representing ordinary shares of biopharmaceutical firm Autolus Therapeutics, which develops next-generation programmed T cell therapies for the treatment of cancer.

PPF Group as one of two financial sponsors of ClearBank, a new UK challenger bank that has been granted a banking licence by the UK Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority in January 2017, representing the first new clearing bank to be approved on the UK market in 250 years.

PPF Group on its sale of about 21 million shares in Polymetal International, a company listed on the London Stock Exchange and a leading gold and silver producer operating in Russia and Kazakhstan.

Allianz Capital Partners, the Allianz Group's asset manager which focuses on investments into private equity, infrastructure and renewable energy, on its co-investment in GasNet, the Czech Republic's largest gas distribution network business, as part of a consortium of investors led by Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA).

Mid Europa Partners, a leading private equity investor in Central and Eastern Europe, in connection with their sale of Walmark, a leading consumer healthcare company in Central and Eastern Europe with a unique portfolio of iconic brands and direct presence across nine EU countries, to STADA Arzneimittel AG.

ARX Equity Partners, an established private equity firm that supports the growth of mid-sized companies in Central Europe, in the exit of its investment in Czech producer of specialized electrical motors VUES Brno (after the sale, Moog Brno) with 70-year history via a sale to Moog Inc. for a purchase price of EUR 53 million.

ARX Equity Partners in the exit of its portfolio company KVK Group via a sale to Sika AG.

ARX Equity Partners in the acquisition of the entire stake in Nutricia Deva, a producer of fruit desserts for babies and children, from Danone Group.

PEGAS NONWOVENS S.A. in relation to the takeover bid for all outstanding shares in the capital of PEGAS NONWOVENS S.A. by R2G Rohan Czech s.r.o., through which it acquired 77,66 % of the shares for CZK 6.87 billion (equivalent to approximately EUR 266 million).

PPF Group in the closely-watched auction process for the EUR 7 billion plus SABMiller's Central & Eastern European brewing assets (comprising businesses in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary and Romania), including advising on the financing of its fully-funded bid.

Axel Johnson International, an industrial group that acquires and develops companies in strategic niche markets, primarily technical components and industrial process solutions and is part of Axel Johnson, one of the Nordic region's leading trading groups, in its acquisition of a majority stake in ARKOV, one of Czech Republic's leading distributors of mechanical power transmission and hydraulics products.

České dráhy (Czech Railways), a Czech national rail carrier, in the acquisition of CHAPS, a developer of sales information systems and public transportation connections search engines, for CZK 400 million (approximately EUR 15.6 million).

A consortium of private equity funds in connection with a contemplated acquisition of a Czech lender bank GE Money (now Moneta Bank), being sold by GE as the U.S. group moved away from financial activities.

Sev.en Energy, a European electric power industry group, in various legal matters.

České Radiokomunikace, a leading operator of digital terrestrial TV broadcasting multiplexes in the Czech Republic, in the process of its transition from the DVB-T to DVB-T2 broadcasting standard and related release of the 700 MHz frequency band, including work on the drafting and preparation of related legislation in the Czech Republic.

Awards and Recognition

"He is very strong on the business side", Chambers Europe, 2021

"a very good negotiator who is quick and open to compromises", Chambers Europe, 2020

Rated as a "Highly regarded" in M&A, IFLR1000, 2020

Jan Andruško has "excellent gravitas at the negotiating table' and is 'a seasoned strategist", The Legal 500, 2019

"Very senior and extremely experienced", Chambers Global, 2019