DLA Piper has advised Swiss-based Syngenta Group on its acquisition of Sensako Group, a South African seeds company engaged in the breeding and the commercialization of agronomic crops.

Sensako is a leading research and development seeds company specializing in cereals. The acquisition will help accelerate Syngenta Seeds’ entry into the South African seeds market in wheat, corn and sunflower, as well as its introduction of Viptera trait technology. Sensako is currently a distributor for Syngenta’s sunflower seeds. Syngenta Seeds also sells vegetable seeds in South Africa, and Syngenta Crop Protection is a major player in that market.

Syngenta is one of the world's leading agricultural companies. With more than 28,000 employees in over 90 countries, the group contributes to the development of agricultural practices and is working to transform how crops are grown. Through partnerships, collaboration and The Good Growth Plan Syngenta is committed to improving farm productivity, rescuing land from degradation, enhancing biodiversity and revitalizing rural communities.

The DLA Piper team was led by Hamburg-based Corporate/M&A counsel, Dr Isaschar Nicolaysen, and partner Dr Benjamin Parameswaran assisted by senior associate Dr Diedrich Schröder (Corporate, Hamburg). The wider team included Frankfurt-based partner Dr Konrad Rohde, counsel Sebastian Kost and senior associate Rafaella Rusin (both Munich, all Tax), as well as the South African DLA Piper team led by director Nada van Dyk, senior associate Rakhee Singh (both Corporate), Litigation and Regulatory partner Janine Simpson and Tax director Andrew Lewis (all based in Johannesburg).

The Syngenta in-house legal team was led by Steve Landsman (Group General Counsel) and Martin Wolfhard (Global Lead Counsel Seeds &Traits and M&A).