IMA Group, which will form part of the laboratories division Applus+ Laboratories, is a structural and materials testing laboratory, and a European leader in most of its key markets of railway, aerospace & defence, wind power, building products, medical devices and automotive.

Applus+ Laboratories is a strategic provider of testing and engineering solutions for the aerospace industry. Over the last decade, Applus+ Laboratories has become a benchmark for testing large carbon-fibre panels, engine parts and other critical aircraft components, and has provided unique turnkey test systems for leading aerospace companies.

Reed Smith Global Corporate Group partner, Dr. Octavio de Sousa, said: “We are delighted to have supported Applus+ on this strategic acquisition that will enhance their position as a leading global provider of testing services for product development.”

The team at Reed Smith advised on the corporate, financing, employment, intellectual property, data protection, real estate, tax, and regulatory aspects of the acquisition, involving lawyers from the firm’s offices in Frankfurt, Munich, Brussels, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

The full team advising on this complex transaction included partners Dr. Octavio de Sousa (Deal Lead: Corporate/M&A), Dr. Martin Bunning (Tax), Amy Yin (Corporate/M&A/Shanghai) and Janet Cheung (Corporate/M&A/Hong Kong), Dr. Anette Gaertner (Intellectual Property), Harald Heller (Real Estate), Christian Filippitsch (Regulatory), partner Jan Weißgerber and counsel Judith Becker (Labor and Employment) as well as associates Dr. Marcel Gellings (Corporate/M&A), Johann Niller (Corporate/M&A), Christian Leuthner (Data Protection), Carina Park (Tax), Ulrike Bischof (Labor and Employment), Vincent Magotsch (Labor and Employment), Marie-Ann Dey (Real Estate), and Ivan Zlatanov (Finance).