Summitas Group and BVUK. Group enter into a strategic partnership

Summitas Group was formed in 2022 as a joint venture of Bain Capital Insurance, Canada Life and JDC Group and is an integrated industrial and commercial insurance broker providing comprehensive support to its clients offering a wide range of products and services regarding all insurance-related risks.

Established in 2000, BVUK. Group is an independent, owner-managed consultancy and brokerage company operating throughout Germany, which focuses on and specializes in introducing, adapting and implementing tailor-made occupational pension and remuneration schemes in medium-sized and large enterprises, including providing individual consulting services to employees. In this context, BVUK. Group acts as a flexible, independent and free broker in the insurance and financial market – exclusively in the interests of its clients. In the field of occupational pension schemes, BVUK. Group is one of the largest and most powerful consultancy and brokerage companies in Germany. Summitas therefore wins a strong partner who will help the company achieve targeted growth in the pension scheme sector.

As a result of the combination, Michael Reizel, managing shareholder and owner of BVUK. Group, will become one of Summitas Group's shareholders. As member of Summitas Group's advisory board and supervisory board member of BVUK. Group, he will consistently advance the entire Group's development. The transaction is still subject to clearance by the competent cartel authorities. Completion is expected to take place in late 2024.

A&O Shearman provided comprehensive advice on the combination and its financing. The firm’s team was led by partner Dr. Hendrik Röhricht (Private Equity) and comprised Dr. Rauni Ahammer (Banking & Finance, both Munich), Tim Drach and Dr. Heike Weber (both Tax, both Frankfurt), Dr. Jan Schröder (Corporate Insurance, Düsseldorf), Dr. Börries Ahrens (Antitrust, Hamburg), Dr. Udo Olgemöller (Public Law), Anna Masser (Arbitration) and Dr. Sebastian Schulz (Employment & Benefits), counsel Dr. Jan-Hendrik Bode (Banking & Finance, all Frankfurt), Dr. Achim Schmid (Corporate Insurance, Düsseldorf) and Dr. Alice Broichmann (Arbitration, Munich). The team further included senior associates Cornelia Tu, Benjamin Maciejewski (both Private Equity, both Munich), Yasmin Weber (Corporate/M&A, Frankfurt), Nils Holzgrefe (Munich), Can Altan (Frankfurt, both Banking & Finance) and Merle Herrmann (Employment & Benefits, Hamburg) as well as associates Sebastian Gerstner, Benedikt Wagner (both Private Equity), Ann-Kathrin Ludwig, Hans-Joachim Englert (both Banking & Finance, all Munich), Damian Snop (Tax, Frankfurt), Saber Baratzadeh (Corporate Insurance, Düsseldorf), Hannah Bakir and Dr. Katharina Hillmer (both Antitrust, both Hamburg).

A team of the firm led by partners Dr. Jan Schröder and Dr. Hendrik Röhricht already advised Canada Life in connection with founding the Summitas platform in 2022.