Biography
Jana Chwaszcz is a local partner in our EMEA M&A/Private Equity practice, specializing in private M&A transactions, corporate finance, and debt and equity capital markets. She is qualified in both Czech and English law.
Jana advises leading private equity funds, financial groups, and corporates across a wide range of industry sectors, including technology, e-commerce, telecommunications, infrastructure, energy, and utilities.
She has also represented issuers and sponsors in IPOs and other equity capital market deals.
Experience
Jana's experience includes advising:
Corporate/M&A
- Mehiläinen, Finland's largest social and healthcare provider and
a CVC Capital Partners portfolio company, on its acquisitions of Regina Maria in Romania and MediGroup in Serbia from private equity firm MidEuropa. - Colt CZ Group with its CZK 22 billion (approx. USD 1.05 billion) acquisition of Synthesia Nitrocellulose, a newly established spin-off of Synthesia and a leading European and North American manufacturer of energetic nitrocellulose. Colt CZ will initially acquire a 51% stake, to be followed by the remaining 49% under already agreed terms. As part of the transaction, Colt CZ also agreed to acquire Synthesia's energy division, which will be spun off into a separate entity.
- Wirtualna Polska group on the acquisition of 100% of the shares in Invia Group from European Bridge Travel for more than PLN 1 billion (€239.7 million), with Rockaway Group and CITIC Europe Holdings participating as existing shareholders of Invia Group and guarantors of EBT's obligations arising from the sale.
- Bonatrans Group, a leading European manufacturer of railway wheelsets, wheels, axles, and related components, on its investment to Terraverse, a Czech startup specializing in innovative solutions for sustainable construction and environmental technologies.
- Samsung Electronics on its €1.5 billion acquisition of Germany-headquartered FläktGroup, a global provider of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) solutions, from funds advised by German-Swedish investment company Triton, which acquired FläktGroup in 2016.
- Macquarie Asset Management, on the disposal of its 55.21% interest in GasNet to ČEZ.*
- a consortium of investors, including J&T Arch Investments and founder Ondřej Kania, on the divestment of a majority stake in Consilium Europe to Dukes Education.*
- Cordiant Digital Infrastructure Ltd (LSE:CORD)'s Czech portfolio company České Radiokomunikace, on its acquisition of Cloud4com and DC Lužice from Aricoma Group.*
- OMERS Infrastructure, on the sale of its 50% interest in NET4GAS to ČEPS, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade.*
- Funds managed by Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (Europe), on the EUR 1 billion acquisition of Romanian power generation, distribution and supply assets from state-owned Czech utility group ČEZ Group.*
- a consortium comprising Macquarie Infrastructure Funds, Sunsuper Superannuation Fund, a Chinese sovereign wealth fund and certain German pension funds for medical professionals, on the acquisition of a 30% interest in EP Infrastructure from Energetický a průmyslový holding.*
- First Brands Group, on its acquisition of Winning Group's CoFo division.*
- a consortium of investors managed by Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (Europe), on its EUR 1.8 billion acquisition of a 50.04% stake in the primary Czech gas distribution system operator innogy Grid Holding (IGH) from RWE.*
- Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets, on the GBP 1 billion acquisition of a majority stake in Southern Water, a provider of essential services to 2.6 million water and 4.7 million wastewater customers across Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, and the Isle of Wight.*
- Raiffeisenbank and Česká spořitelna, on its ESG procedures.*
- Asahi Group Holdings, on its EUR 7.3 billion acquisition of former SABMiller businesses and operations in the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania from AB InBev.*
- Uniper on the cross-border merger of its Czech subsidiary Uniper Trend into Uniper Kraftwerke.*
Capital Markets
- BNP PARIBAS, J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley Europe as joint global coordinators, joint physical bookrunners and initial purchasers, and UniCredit Bank as joint bookrunner and initial purchaser, on the issuance of senior secured notes by Czechoslovak Group. The transaction involved the issuance of USD1 billion 6.500 per cent. senior secured notes due 2031 and EUR 1 billion 5.250 per cent. senior secured notes due 2031, offered under Rule 144A and Regulation S. The notes benefit from a comprehensive collateral package and had to be integrated into the group's overall financing structure. The transaction benefited from strong investor demand, with the original offer being more than four times oversubscribed.
- Colt CZ Group on the listing of its (tranche) shares on the Prime Market of the Prague Stock Exchange.*
- W.A.G payment solutions (Eurowag), on its EUR 200 million initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange.*
- Tatry mountain resorts, on the listing of its (tranche) shares on the Prime Market of the Prague Stock Exchange.*
- Česká zbrojovka Group, a leading European producer of firearms, on its IPO and the listing of its shares on the Prime Market of the Prague Stock Exchange.*
- Czech Gas Networks Investments (CGNI), on the issuance and placement of EUR500M green notes with investors on international capital markets.*
- Czech Gas Networks Investments (CGNI), on its debut issuance and placement of EUR 500 million notes with investors on international capital markets.*
- an undisclosed client, on its IPO and the listing of its shares on the Prime Market of the Prague Stock Exchange.*
- MONETA Money Bank, on the establishment of its approx. EUR 1.86 billion debut domestic bond programme.*
- J&T BANKA, in respect of CZK-denominated secured bonds issued by Rohlik.cz Finance.*
- J&T IB, on the issuance of up to CZK 2.1 billion senior guaranteed Czech law-governed and Prague-listed fixed rate bonds by Delaware limited liability company Liberty One Methanol.*
* Experience prior to joining White & Case
Recognized as a leading figure in a local initiative Top 100 Women in Czech Legal Business (2024)
Recognized as a leading figure in a local initiative 131 Inspirational Women in Finance (2024)