The Legal 500

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s market-leading practice acted on some of the year’s most significant matters, notably including an increased number of complex cross-border deals. One highlight was advising General Motors on its €304m global strategic alliance with PSA Peugeot Citroën, and the team continues to act for the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund on the restructuring and privatisation of the twelve largest Greek ports. The team showcased its range of expertise by advising TenneT on the sale of a 49% equity stake in two German offshore high-voltage cable projects to Mitsubishi Corporation, a deal with a significant regulatory element. Practice head Christoph von Bülow, Andreas Fabritius and Anselm Raddatz are highly recommended.

Hengeler Mueller, which is ‘nothing but outstanding in any respect’, advises across a wide range of industries, represents good value, and ‘consults effectively on the myriad of issues that arise’. The team frequently advises major foreign clients on their German activities: for example, it advised Rolls-Royce on the €3.4bn takeover of Tognum jointly with Daimler. It also advised 
EQT on the sale of Kabel BW to Liberty Global. Other clients include ThyssenKrupp, Porsche Automobil Holding and GlaxoSmithKline. 
Hans-Jörg Ziegenhain ‘identifies commercially relevant items in negotiations’, and ‘does not 
lose time with side issues’.

‘There when things get tough’, Linklaters LLP is valued for its ‘swift responses’ and the ‘impressive business acumen and industry knowledge’. The team, which maintains a busy cross-border practice, advised Audi on its acquisition of Ducati; a Macquarie-led consortium on its €3.2bn bid for Open Grid Europe; and E.ON on the formation of a joint venture with MPX, Brazil’s coal mining and natural gas company. Rüdiger Thiele is ‘excellent in project management and budgeting’, and clients value Nikolaos Paschos’ ‘high-end services’ and ‘great negotiation tactics’. Practice head Hans-Ulrich Wilsing is also recommended.

Clifford Chance is ‘one of the best for multinational transactions’, and is able to ‘communicate difficult topics to difficult audiences’. The practice played a key role in advising Commerz Real and M31 Beteiligungsgesellschaft on the acquisition of a 74.9% share in Amprion, an infrastructure transaction in a regulated industry. It also advised Amgen on its $1.16bn acquisition of Micromet, and acted for Fluxys on the purchase of Eni’s interests in the TENP and Transitgas pipelines. The ‘committed’ Oliver Felsenstein is ‘extremely easy to work with’, and Arndt Stengel has ‘impressive knowledge and communication skills’.

Gleiss Lutz’s ‘tactically well-versed’ lawyers ‘actively guide processes beyond pure legal advice’. The firm continues to act on an impressive number of cross-border deals, despite the dissolution of its strategic alliance with Herbert Smith Freehills LLP. The team advised new client Siemens on public M&A matters pertaining to its public offer to acquire all shares in IBS. It also advised Bosch on its acquisition of SPX’s service solutions business, and has attracted new clients in the energy sector. Patrick Kaffiné develops ‘proposals that both support the deal and protect clients’ interests’, and ‘dares to give clear advice and guidance’. Christian Cascante heads the practice.

Shearman & Sterling LLP’s small but excellent team regularly attracts high-calibre instructions. The firm advised E.ON on its Societas Europaea (SE) conversion and acted for CITIC and Shanghai-listed Sany Heavy Industry on their joint acquisition of Putzmeister. Alfred Kossmann is ‘best in class for complex high end and cross-border transactions’, and the ‘commercially minded’ Harald Selzner ‘always achieves our objectives’, say clients. However, the up-and-coming Marco Sustmann and Andreas Merkner joined Glade Michel Wirtz – Corporate & Competition.

Allen & Overy LLP is ‘gaining strength’ 
and growing its presence on top international deals. The team advised Elster Group during 
its takeover by Melrose, and assisted SAP with 
its $3.4bn public acquisition of SuccessFactors. Jan Schröder is a key figure in a growing transactional practice in the insurance sector. Hans-Christoph Ihrig is ‘a co-operative, calm and composed negotiator’. Thomas Austmann left to found his own firm.

CMS’ ‘business-minded and pragmatic’ team fields more than 100 partners and has an outstanding position in the mid-cap market as well as the ability to take on larger mandates. Highlight matters included assisting Takeda with the post-acquisition integration of Nycomed, and advising Iberdrola on the proposed cross-border merger with RWE. Jochen Lamb has ‘a good sense of what is achievable’, Christian von Lenthe is ‘straight to the point, reliable and trustworthy’, and Ludwig Linder ‘keeps the big picture in mind while negotiating complicated details’. Thomas Meyding is also recommended.

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP traditionally excels at high-end, cross-border deals, but has significantly strengthened its domestic practice. Recent highlights include advising Helaba on its acquisition of WestLB’s core business; Eni on the sale of its stake in the TENP and the Transitgas pipelines to Fluxys; and American Express on the business integration of Loyalty Partner. Klaus Riehmer and Gabriele Apfelbacher are particularly recommended. Christof von Dryander joined Deutsche Bank as general counsel.

Hogan Lovells International LLP was able to showcase its strong expertise in regulated industries when it advised ExxonMobil on the sale of gas storage facilities to Storengy; and Mitsubishi on its €1.2bn joint venture agreement with TenneT. The team also advised Ametek on its cross-border acquisition of Dunkermotoren from Triton. Jörg Meißner is ‘a congenial, 
solution-oriented expert’, and Lutz Angerer gives ‘outstanding business-oriented advice based on sound knowledge of case law and regulations’. Christoph Louven heads the practice.

Latham & Watkins LLP has made significant inroads in the healthcare sector, where it advised Rhön-Klinikum during takeover manoeuvres by Fresenius; and DAK on its merger with corporate health insurer BKK, which was a first-of-its-kind deal in Germany. The practice also advised photovoltaic cells manufacturer Q-Cells and its insolvency administrator on the sale of the company, capitalising on the firm’s renewable energy expertise. Henning Schneider is ‘a heavyweight both in legal terms as well as in strategy’, Stefan Widder ‘keeps cool in heated negotiations’, and Wilhelm Reinhardt ‘asserts clients’ needs and finds individual solutions’. ‘We can blindly rely on their work’, say clients.

Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP’s renowned experts have an extremely good standing in the market; ‘they are our "insurance policy"’, say clients. The firm exhibited its financial services expertise when advising RHJ International on its acquisition of BHF-Bank from Deutsche Bank. Elsewhere, it acted for Axel Springer on its strategic partnership with General Atlantic. Norbert Rieger is ‘a top performer’ and Peter Nussbaum is ‘quick, responsive and efficient’.

Noerr’s ‘excellent’ team adopts a sector-specific approach to practice, and made significant steps forward regarding real estate and public M&A work. It advised TAG Immobilien on the takeover of Colonia Real Estate; Daimler on the structuring of an international tender process regarding the sale of MBtech; and BMG on its acquisition of publisher R2M Music. Thorsten Reinhard is ‘to the point’ and ‘presents complex matters in a comprehensible way’. Alexander Ritvay and Thomas Schulz jointly head the team.

White & Case LLP is another practice with sector-specific teams. Chemicals and life sciences are noteworthy areas of expertise, which was highlighted in the practice’s restructuring advice to Novasep and assistance to Clariant regarding the integration of Süd-Chemie. The group is also advising the city of Hamburg and the state of Schleswig-Holstein on the restructuring of HSH Nordbank. Andreas Stilcken is ‘extremely professional’ and ‘great to work with’, and Lutz Krämer is also recommended.

Ashurst LLP handled another mandate for Robert Bosch, recently advising it on the sale of its global brakes business. Other highlights were advising Ontex on its acquisition of Lille Healthcare, and assisting Owens & Minor with its acquisition of Movianto. The ‘reliable’ Lutz Englisch and Nikolaus von Jacobs have ‘an extraordinary understanding of clients’ internal constraints’. The firm strengthened its M&A practice by recruiting former Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP lawyer Benedikt von Schorlemer.

Baker & McKenzie is highly regarded for its Asian network and has been increasingly busy with China-related mandates, such as its advice to Kiekert’s shareholders on the sale of shares to Hebei Lingyun Industrial Group. The firm also advised WestLB on its divestiture of certain international subsidiaries and assets, and acted for ACM on the sale of a minority shareholding in Leica Camera to Blackstone. Sönke Becker and Nikolaus Reinhuber jointly head the practice.

Bird & Bird’s vast expertise in IP and IT attracts substantial instructions, with one recent example being the firm’s advice to Nokia Siemens Networks regarding the sale of its broadband access business to ADTRAN. The team also acted for Grünenthal on a product portfolio sale including local subsidiaries in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, and utilising the firm’s network in eastern Europe. Alexander Schröder-Frerkes is recommended. Kerstin Mast joined Jones Day’s new Düsseldorf office.

DLA Piper’s successful practice spans a number of industries. It recently advised Etihad Airways on its entry as anchor investor in AirBerlin, acted for Gruner + Jahr on the purchase of a majority stake in Indian digital company Networkplay, and represented listed Korean company Doosan Power Systems during its acquisition of a German engineering company. Christoph Papenheim is ‘commercially minded’ and ‘does not just give clients the black-letter law’. The practice has been strengthened by the addition of a four-strong team from Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP, including Thomas Schmuck, who ‘always answers straight to the point’.

Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek’s diverse practice shows ‘outstanding industry knowledge and business acumen’. Recent highlights include advising Alder on its acquisition of a majority stake in Rail & Road Protec; Windreich on the sale of a North Sea wind farm; and Auctus Capital on the purchase of hospitals. The firm also provides ongoing corporate advice to Lloyd Fonds. Stefan Duhnkrack and Mathias Schröder are recommended.

Jones Day boosted its German practice by the lateral hire of three partners for its new Düsseldorf office and managed to grow its German client base. The practice advised EDF on its acquisition of sole control over Edison, and assisted Goldman Sachs with its takeover of DNick Holding plc. Adriane Sturm has ‘a good understanding of what international clients need and expect’, and Ansgar Rempp ‘addresses issues quickly and thoroughly’.

Mayer Brown LLP frequently capitalises on its strong US offering, and recently advised Fresenius Kabi on its definitive agreement to acquire Fenwal. Microsol instructed the team to advise it on purchasing key assets from the insolvent Solon, and the group also acted for Çelebi on the acquisition of all shares in Fraport Ground Services Austria. Stephan Gittermann and Christof Gaudig are recommended, and the ‘service and knowledge offered are as professional as one can expect’.

Norton Rose LLP is traditionally strong in the energy, insurance, pharmaceuticals and wider life sciences sectors, and clients say its ‘advice leads to commercial success’. Highlights were advising RWE Innogy on its investment in enercast; GrainCorp on its acquisition of GermanMalt; and Hidden Peak Capital on buying a stake in profine. Nico Abel is ‘extremely experienced’ and Andreas Börner has ‘excellent corporate finance know-how’.

Oppenhoff & Partner’s ‘top-notch’ team has attracted an increasing number of cross-border deals, including advising Benckiser on Coty’s takeover bid for Avon Products. It advised Sunstar on its acquisition of Interbros, and acted for Vaillant on its takeover of a heating sector company. Georg Maier-Reimer gets ‘immediately up to speed’ on matters, Ronald Meißner ‘thinks like an in-house lawyer’, and Harald Gesell is ‘a lawyer you want to have on board for any meaningful transaction’. Stephan König heads the practice.

P+P Pöllath + Partners’ corporate practice is underpinned by its renowned tax and private equity expertise. It recently advised 
Cewe Color on its acquisition of Saxoprint; Deutsche Sparkassen Leasing on the acquisition of all shares in Universal Factoring from Westdeutsche Landesbank; and the Brost family on divesting 50% of shares in WAZ Group. Otto Haberstock and Andrea von Drygalski are recommended.

SZA Schilling, Zutt & Anschütz Rechtsanwalts AG’s ‘outstanding’ team has ‘fantastic corporate capabilities’ and M&A expertise, and counts among its clients numerous DAX30 companies. One notable highlight was its advice to MAN on the 
re-purchase of 70% of shares in Ferrostaal. Other clients include Daimler, Südzucker and the supervisory board of UniCredit Bank. Jochem Reichert heads the practice.

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP leveraged its global network to advise on several high-value, cross-border deals such as Outokumpu’s €2.8bn acquisition of Inoxum from ThyssenKrupp. The team also advised Altimo on the $5.2bn sale of its 25% stake in Russian mobile operator OJSC MegaFon. Matthias Jaletzke and Bernd Mayer are recommended.

Sullivan & Cromwell LLP has attracted ‘an extremely interesting caseload’, including advising Deutsche Wohnen on its €1.2bn acquisition of companies in the BauBeCon Group from Barclays, and assisting HEAG with its $400m acquisition of E.ON’s 40% stake in HEAG Südhessische Energie. Konstantin Technau and Wolfgang Feuring are recommended.

Taylor Wessing has intensified its 
cross-border work, particularly regarding 
China-related deals, where the team advised Aiko Solar Energy on its acquisition of Scheuten Solar. The practice remains a great choice for technology sector clients, which is an area of focus for the firm, exemplified by its advice to Google on the takeover of DailyDeal. The team has also been increasingly busy with contentious matters. Peter Hellich is recommended along with the ‘very quick’ Ernst-Albrecht von Beauvais, who has ‘outstanding knowledge’.

Weil, Gotshal & Manges frequently utilises its network to handle multi-jurisdictional deals, such as its advice to Vinci regarding the planned acquisition of Hochtief Airport and its stakes in airports in Europe and overseas. The practice is well known for acting on high-end deals, often with a US angle, and recently worked alongside US colleagues to advise Lincare during its $4.6bn sale to Linde. The firm has also acted on various Chinese deals, including advising Grohe on increasing its stake in Joyou. Gerhard Schmidt is widely well regarded.

WilmerHale’s strong life sciences and technology industry expertise attract a number of mandates, such as the firm’s advice to Nabriva Therapeutics during its sale to Forest Laboratories. The team’s sector expertise is highly valued by Chinese clients, and Alicia Hong ‘bridges cultural differences’. Rüdiger Herrmann is ‘pragmatic, very resilient and business-oriented’, and the group as a whole delivers ‘strong strategic insights, negotiation tactics and process management’.

Beiten Burkhardt is well regarded for its extensive office network in Eastern Europe and particularly for its strong experience in the automotive industry, and the team advised Benteler on the worldwide restructuring of foreign participating interests. It also advised Fiducia IT on its proposed merger with GAD. Other clients include Siemens Venture Capital and Robert Bosch. Axel Goetz is recommended.

Flick Gocke Schaumburg’s corporate practice is underpinned by the firm’s outstanding tax group. The team advised Pixelpark during its buyout by Publicis, and acted for Fuhrländer on restructuring matters. Compliance work is a growing area. Stefan Simon heads the practice.

GSK Stockmann + Kollegen is well known for its corporate real estate expertise but has expanded the practice to attract a wider range of high-profile matters such as advising Tognum on its acquisition of Aggretech. It also acted for a DAX-listed company on a merger between an Italian subsidiary and its German parent company. The ‘extremely successful’ Rainer Herschlein is ‘a very good team player’, and Gregor Seikel ‘knows how to manage high-value transactions’. Markus Rasner joined from CMS.

Görg Partnerschaft von Rechtsanwälten is ‘fast, pragmatic, and aims at solutions’. It advised on various cross-border transactions such as the bid process for the sale of foundry company Dihag Group. Restructuring is a firmwide specialty, and the team has recently acted for UKM Holding and HP Pelzer in this regard. Wolfgang König is ‘tough, but still more of a moderator than an aggressive negotiator’.

Heisse Kursawe Eversheds ‘understands clients’ needs and keeps the team at an appropriate size’, but can leverage the rest of the Eversheds LLP network as necessary. Recent deal highlights include advising United Drug on its €35m takeover of Pharmexx, and acting for Insight Enterprises on buying Inmac and MicroWarehouse. Sybille Flindt is ‘excellent’, and Christof Lamberts is ‘able to take a strong leading role’. However, Jörg Kretschmer left to set up his own firm.

Heymann & Partner Rechtsanwälte’s Thomas Heymann excels at advising on private equity and outsourcing transactions. The team advised GlaxoSmithKline on a proposed acquisition and acted for SEB on the sale of SEB Assekuranz Makler. The practice remains a great choice for IT companies where the team has substantial industry expertise.

Luther Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH has a busy cross-border practice and can call 
on offices in Shanghai and Singapore. 
Highlights were advising Evonik Industries on merging sub-groups Evonik and THS, and assisting Wenaas with the €90m acquisition 
of Berlin’s Scandic Potsdamer Platz Hotel. The ‘very commercial’ Markus Schackmann ‘displays in-depth knowledge’, and Matthias Götz joined from SKW Schwarz Rechtsanwälte to redress some recent departures. The lawyers ‘concentrate on key questions’.

McDermott Will & Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP represented Intersnack on its restructuring and advised insolvency receiver Biner Bähr on the sale of a majority stake in AE&E Lentjes to Korean Doosan Group. The firm’s newly opened Frankfurt office, which fields a capital markets team hired from Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP, is expected to bolster the practice. Christian von Sydow is ‘a skilful negotiator’ and the ‘excellent’ Norbert Schulte is ‘precise and reliable’.

Orrick Hölters & Elsing provides ‘top-notch support’ and has strong expertise in deals with a US element. The team advised 4imprint on the sale of Kreyer, and acted for Book’n’Drive’s founder on the sale of a majority stake. On the corporate side, the practice acted for German Pellets regarding the establishment of its US companies. Oliver Duys is ‘insistent and persuasive’ and ‘gets the deal done’.

SJ Berwin LLP brings its tax and private equity expertise into play on deals such as Steadfast Capital’s sale of FEP Group to Amphenol or Star Capital Partners’ acquisition of Blohm + Voss. Julian Lemor heads the team, which has ‘fantastic negotiating skills’ and is ‘extremely focused on clients’ needs’.

Simmons & Simmons LLP has a good reputation for energy-related matters, where Ikea is a key client regarding wind farm projects. The team advised Thomas Cook Netherlands on the sale of 100 Dutch travel agencies. Michael Bormann heads the team, which welcomed Volker Holl and Jochen Terpitz from Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP. Ulrich Brauer joined Jones Day.