Driving Innovation in Aerospace and Defence for Europe: Hogan Lovells advises Helsing on the acquisition of Grob Aircraft

Helsing and Grob Aircraft are strengthening their partnership to jointly develop next-generation technologies for aerial warfare. Based in Tussenhausen, Grob Aircraft employs around 275 people and has deep expertise in the design and production of light composite aircraft, as well as established experience in both military and civil aviation. Combined with Helsing’s AI and software capabilities, the acquisition creates significant innovation potential for the European defence industry.

Founded in 2021 in Munich, Helsing is expanding its presence in the air domain through the acquisition and continues to pursue its multi-sector focus on land, sea, air, and space.

With a multidisciplinary team led by partners Alexander Koch and Falk Schöning, Hogan Lovells provided Helsing with comprehensive legal advice across all legal aspects of the transaction, including due diligence, negotiation of the transaction documents and regulatory matters.

"This transaction demonstrates how critical the combination of legal expertise and technological understanding is in M&A processes in the AI and high-tech sectors," said Alexander Koch.

"The combination of two highly specialised companies with strategic relevance for the European security and defence industry comes with complex regulatory requirements", said Falk Schöning, Co-Head of Hogan Lovells’ European Defence Team. "We are proud to have contributed our expertise to such a forward-looking project."

The contracting parties have agreed not to disclose the terms of the contract.

Hogan Lovells for Helsing

Dr. Alexander Koch (Partner), Joy Baur, Gesa Unland-Miramov, Dr. Daniel Schwiete (Senior Associates), Viktoria Voth (Associate) (all Hamburg); Alexander Koch (Partner), Benoît Serraf (Counsel) (both Luxembourg); Pierre-Yves Marquet (Associate, Paris), Jalpit Amin (Partner, Silicon Valley) (all Corporate M&A);

Dr. Falk Schöning (Partner), Stefan Kirwitzke (Senior Associate), Julius Jakob Gertz (Associate) (all Brussels); Aline Doussin (Partner), Victor Levy (Counsel), Eléonore Castagnet (Associate) (all Paris); Christopher Peacock (Counsel, London) (all Regulatory/FDI);

Dr. Sabrina Gäbeler (Counsel), Sophia Gottschlich (Senior Associate) (both Frankfurt); Dr. Jana Lind (Associate, Dusseldorf), Baptiste Camus (Associate, Paris) (all Employment);

Dr. Dirk Debald (Partner), Claudia Wolf (Counsel), Katia Fernandez (Senior Associate), Annemarie Sophie Nowak (Associate) (all Hamburg); Judith Altenburg (Senior Associate), Florentine Gottwald (Associate) (beide Frankfurt) (all Real Estate);

Dr. Mathias Schönhaus (Partner), Jan Meinecke (Associate) (both Tax, Berlin);

Bastian Englisch (Senior Associate, Intellectual Property, Hamburg);

Dr. Jörg Herwig (Partner), Alexandra Willm (Senior Associate) (both Private Equity / M&A, Frankfurt);

Oliver Cook (Senior Associate, Compliance, Berlin);

Tiziana Daxenberger (Senior Associate, Corporate Finance, Munich);

Astrid Layrisse (Senior Associate, Projects Finance, Paris).

Helsing Inhouse: Florian Köhler (Group General Counsel)