DLA Piper advises REWE Group on investment in SK Gaming

DLA Piper has advised REWE Group on its investment in SK Gaming, one of the world's best-known brands in esports. With this investment, the food retailer is further expanding its involvement in esports and gaming in Germany. REWE and SK Gaming have already announced their partnership in December 2021, which is now being further consolidated. As an official nutrition partner, REWE brings its expertise to this area and supports, for example, with fresh food and nutrition plans. The cooperation also includes many other topics, such as digital services or REWE's employer branding.

With a turnover of EUR26.5 billion in 2020 and 161,000 employees in Germany, REWE Markt GmbH is one of the leading companies in German food retailing. The cooperative REWE Group with its more than 380,000 employees is one of the leading retail and tourism groups in Germany and Europe and present in 22 European countries.

SK Gaming is a leading Esports organisation and one of the world's most recognised brands in competitive video gaming. Founded in 1997, "Schroet Kommando" has developed into a successful Esports company with offices in Cologne and Berlin.

The DLA Piper team was jointly led by counsel Dr Moritz von Hesberg and partner Dr Nils Krause (both Corporate/M&A, Hamburg). The wider team also included partners Dr Henriette Norda (Employment), Dr Justus Herrlinger (Antitrust, both Hamburg), counsel Gabriele Engels (IPT, Cologne), Christoph Engelmann (Public Commercial Law/Media Law), senior associates Rune Jelte Weltz (Corporate/M&A, both Hamburg), Philip Weyand (Public Law, Cologne), associate Dr Jonas Kranz (Antitrust) and foreign associate Dan Li (Corporate/M&A, both Hamburg).

The REWE Group in-house team was led by Dr Ulrich Fleischer (Legal Counsel - M&A and Financing).