DLA Piper advises on the sale of cybersecurity firm Help AG to UAE’s Etisalat

DLA Piper has advised Havenvest Private Equity, Rimco Investments and the management sellers on the disposal of 100 per cent of their shares in Help AG, a cybersecurity company operating in the Middle East, to Etisalat.

Founded in Germany in 1995, Help AG has been present in the Middle East since 2004. The company serves telecom, retail, defence, government, oil and gas, infrastructure, education, healthcare and aviation and transport sectors.

The transaction will see Etisalat –  the UAE’s largest telecom operator –  enhance and diversify its digital portfolio and will accelerate the growth of the company’s existing cyber security activities and allow for further expansion across the region.

The DLA Piper team was led by Corporate partner Ben Gillespie, who was assisted by senior associate Natalia Tombs.

Commenting on the transaction, Ben Gillespie, said, “We are delighted to have advised on this significant strategic divestment. This transaction presented another opportunity for our corporate team to showcase its market leading M&A capabilities across the GCC within the rapidly growing technology sector.”

Abdul Qaiyum Hafiz, partner at Havenvest Private Equity Middle East, said, “Having worked with Ben when acquiring our stake in the business in 2014, we were very pleased to instruct Ben once again, along with Natalia, to support us and the other sellers on our successful exit through a competitive sale process. The DLA Piper team was highly responsive and superb on the negotiation table, striking the balance perfectly in terms of which points to prioritise without being inappropriately aggressive. The team was consistent in providing commercial and sensible advice with their knowledge and support on implementing the local closing requirements invaluable.”