DLA Piper advises Nemetschek Group on acquisition of GoCanvas Solutions

DLA Piper has advised Bluebeam Inc., a subsidiary of Nemetschek Group (Nemetschek), on the acquisition of GoCanvas Solutions. The acquisition, which is the largest in the over 60-year history of Nemetschek, is a significant step in Nemetschek’s strategic transition towards a subscription and SaaS-centric business model, strengthening its US market position and its existing operations in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

Nemetschek is a forerunner in the digital transformation of the architecture, engineering, construction and operations industries, covering the entire lifecycle of building and infrastructure projects. The company’s intelligent software solutions allow these industries to plan ahead, seamlessly share information, and collaborate more effectively.

GoCanvas is a US-based mobile workflow automation and data collection solutions provider, including field operations, safety and compliance management, and maintenance management. Their technology enables field workers to collect data through GoCanvas’ on-demand SaaS inspection software. This allows customers to automate paperwork and enhance business analytics.

Dr Nils Krause, client partner in DLA Piper’s M&A practice, commented: “We are delighted to have once again provided comprehensive legal advice to our client, Nemetschek, on an international M&A deal. Successfully completing this complex, multi-jurisdictional transaction in a short timeframe highlights our extensive knowledge and long-standing experience in the technology sector.”

In addition to client partner Dr Nils Krause (Corporate/M&A, Hamburg), the deal was supported by a cross-border, cross-practice team from the firm’s offices in the US, Australia, Austria, the Czech Republic and South Africa.

Key lawyers for this transaction included in particular partners Matt Leivo, Anthony Taranto (both Corporate), Neil Balmert (Tax) and Michelle Lara, associates Rebecca Xu (both Executive Compensation) and Katerina Karaoglanova (Corporate; all San Diego), partner Georgia Jolink (Employment) from Austin, partners Jennifer Kashatus (Data Protection and Security) and Nicholas Klein (National Security), of counsel Nia Brown (Insurance; all Washington, DC), partner Paolo Morante (Antitrust) and associate Katie Lee (Data Protection and Security) from New York, partner Chung Wei (Technology, San Francisco), partner William Bartow (IP, Philadelphia), director Amy Eliason (Corporate), director and location head Monique Jefferson (Employment) and associate Callie-Jo Bouman (Corporate) from Johannesburg, partner Semin O (Frankfurt) and senior associate Ina Fey (Cologne; both Antitrust), solicitor Joanna Shepherd (Corporate, Brisbane), senior associates Paul Bonjour (Employment) and Alexandra Moore (IPT; both Sydney) as well as other lawyers from the Vienna, Prague and London offices.

With more than 1,000 corporate lawyers globally, DLA Piper helps clients execute complex transactions while supporting them across all stages of development. The firm has been rated number one in global M&A volume for 14 consecutive years and is number one across Africa by M&A deal volume, according to Mergermarket. Additionally, DLA Piper is ranked number one in M&A in combined global deal volume according to PitchBook.