Shearman & Sterling advised investment holding company Armira on the financing of the sale of all its shares in M-Sicherheitsbeteiligungen GmbH (Mehler Vario System Group), a ballistic protection provider, to investment company Deutsche Private Equity (DPE).

The Mehler Vario System Group is a leading manufacturer of ballistic protection equipment. The product portfolio includes an extensive range of high-quality ballistic protective vests, tactical equipment and clothing as well as ballistic protection solutions for vehicles. The Mehler Vario System Group includes Mehler Vario System GmbH as well as three German subsidiaries, plus a further subsidiary in Slovenia and one in Serbia. The company is based in Fulda, Germany. It has around 600 employees at five locations and operates internationally in more than 40 countries worldwide.

Armira is an investment holding company headquartered in Munich that invests in mid-sized businesses in the German-speaking countries. Its focus is on established, profitable companies with sales of between EUR 50 million and 500 million. Due to its unique capital base comprising entrepreneurs and business-owning families, Armira has the flexibility to invest without a fixed term and can focus on long-term development of its portfolio companies. The Armira Group currently generates sales of more than EUR 1.5 billion and employs over 8,000 people.

The Team