The Legal 500

Germany

Employment

Employment - ranked: tier 5

McDermott Will & Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP

The ‘very reliable and always available’ team at McDermott Will & Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP utilises its ‘excellent expertise’ when assisting clients with national and cross-border matters and ‘applies strategies, that usually lead to a successful outcome’. Team head Volker Teigelkötter is advising Mitsubishi Power Systems Europe on the restructuring of Babcock Fertigungszentrum, and United Internet Group on the integration of Strato and Drillisch, and also assists long-term client DMG Mori with personnel leasing, data protection and transactional matters as well as contentious issues. The ‘friendly and technically excellent’ Paul Melot de Beauregard and the ‘precise’ Gudrun Germakowski are also recommended.

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Tax

Tax - ranked: tier 4

McDermott Will & Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP

McDermott Will & Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP’s tax law practice primarily develops foundation solutions for family businesses and provides assistance with transactions. The team, which is led by the well-known Dirk Pohl, is instructed by stock companies and creditors from the finance sector, as well as individual partners including shareholders in management positions. Kian Tauser and Nina Siewert advise the chairperson of tutoring service provider Schülerhilfe on tax law matters pertaining to re-investment in the group of companies; Carsten Böhm assisted the shareholders of AAT Antriebstechnik with tax law matters concerning the sale of shares to rehabilitation and technology company Reac; and Joseph Marx acted for Baader Bank on the tax aspects of the capital increase of Heidelberg Pharma. In March 2018, Nikolaj Kubik joined GGV Partnerschaft mbB Rechtsanwälte Wirtschaftsprüfer Steuerberater.

Leading individuals

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Germany: Corporate and M&A

Corporate

Corporate - ranked: tier 5

McDermott Will & Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP

McDermott Will & Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP has ‘a very well-coordinated team’ which, in addition to advising on transactions, also regularly handles changes in legal form and mergers. It recently advised the entire European portfolio of aircraft supplier TransDigm Group in this area. In other work, it handled various structural matters for CardProcess, a provider of cashless payment systems, and IT service provider Fiducia & GAD. Clemens Just, Michael Cziesla and Christian von Sydow, who has ‘a very good network locally and abroad’, are key names. Philipp Grenzebach made partner in January 2018. Wilhelm Haarmann joined the group in January 2019 from Linklaters.

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Germany: Dispute resolution

Arbitration (including international arbitration)

Arbitration (including international arbitration) - ranked: tier 3

McDermott Will & Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP

McDermott Will & Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP is particularly known for its expertise in representing investors and governments in connection with investment protection agreements; a high-profile example is its long-standing representation of the Federal Republic of Germany, in a dispute where power company Vattenfall is demanding billions in damages. Arne Fuchs, who recently made partner, has a focus on commercial arbitration proceedings: for example, he is representing a southeastern state in ad hoc investment arbitration proceedings. The group benefits from the firm’s strong international network and also has experience in the energy and infrastructure sectors. The frequently recommended Sabine Konrad, who acts both as party representative and arbitrator, left for Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP in September 2019.

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Germany: Industry focus

Healthcare and life sciences

Healthcare and life sciences - ranked: tier 2

McDermott Will & Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP

Clients appreciate McDermott Will & Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP’s ‘engagement and deep expertise surrounding the particularities of the healthcare sector’. The group welcomed Rüdiger Herrmann and Jochen Eimer as well as counsel Alicia Hong and Monika Emilia Richter from Dechert LLP to the Frankfurt office in May 2018, resulting in an increase in instructions concerning transactional work and regulatory matters. Under the lead of practice head Stephan Rau, the team has further expanded its services to Sanford Health to include corporate advice and assisted the client with its acquisition of a stake in IsarKlinikum. Counsel Jana Grieb advised a company belonging to the Brunswick group on its entry into the medical devices market, including conformity assessment and labelling and advertising questions. GIMV is a new client; other clients include Medicover, Labor Berlin and Arabellaklinik and its associated companies.  The ‘outstanding and focused’ Katharina Wodarz, who joined in 2016 together with counsel Nadine Hartung, left for Raue PartmbB in January 2019.

Leading individuals

Next Generation Partners

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Telecoms

Telecoms - ranked: tier 3

McDermott Will & Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP

McDermott Will & Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP’s team is particularly well positioned with its experience in telecoms law at the intersection with media and technology matters. Ralf Weisser, who heads the practice together with Wolfgang von Frentz, and counsel Claus Färber advised Deutsche Telekom on cooperation agreements with Inmarsat regarding the European Aviation Network, which equips aeroplanes with WLAN. The firm also represented Deutschlandradio in proceedings against Unitymedia relating to the continued payment of cable feed-in fees after cancellation within the stipulated time period. In another highlight, the team secured the prohibition of smart TV functions through Exaring for ProSiebenSat.1 at preliminary injunction proceedings at the Regional Court of Munich; the crucial point in the proceedings concerned the delineation of IPTV from OTT services in closed-cable networks.

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Germany: Information technology

Data protection

Data protection - ranked: tier 4

McDermott Will & Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP

Within its TMT practice McDermott Will & Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP also increasingly covers data protection matters. Ralf Weisser notably advises on data protection in the context of outsourcing transactions and Wolfgang von Frentz coordinates the global data protection practice with expertise in litigation. He is assisting Professor Flöther with the sale of the Unister Group, including several online travel portals, is advising the client on the transfer of millions of customer data to various buyers and is defending the client at court regarding the controversial admissibility of this kind of customer data transfer. He is also handling data protection matters for Celanese Europe, including GDPR compliance, in connection with internal investigations and cross-border data traffic. A new client is GEA. Counsel Claus Färber is particularly active.

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Information technology (including contracts)

Information technology (including contracts) - ranked: tier 5

McDermott Will & Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP

McDermott Will & Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP puts its technology expertise to use particularly in telecoms and media law issues and frequently advises on innovative IT matters such as IoT, the development of apps and general assistance in the context of digitalisation, while the team also handles traditional IT matters, transactions and disputes. It is assisting Unister with the sale of its eBusiness company and is representing IP Deutschland, RTL’s advertisement marketer, and RTL interactive, the operator of RTL’s webpages, in proceedings against Eyeo regarding the use of Ad Block Plus. It also assists longstanding client Deutsche Telekom with matters concerning the European Aviation Network (EAN), which connects a satellite with ground stations in a hybrid approach in order to allow airplane passangers to access WLAN on board. The team also advised a German brand-name manufacturer of cutting tools on a webshop to be implemented globally and an app for the networking of various kitchen appliances.The team also assists Celanese with IT contracts. GEA is a new client. Ralf Weisser and Wolfgang von Frentz are the key figures.

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Germany: Media

Entertainment

Entertainment - ranked: tier 4

McDermott Will & Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP

Wolfgang von Frentz and Ralf Weisser jointly head the TMT practice at McDermott Will & Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP, which also has expertise in the entertainment sector. It has a core focus advising TV channels on media law matters, transactions and proceedings. Highlights included the representation of RTL Television in proceedings against Save.TV at the regional court in Cologne in connection with antitrust matters. The team is also representing ProSiebenSat.1 in injunction proceedings against Exaring regarding the breach of a supply agreement concerning the TV platform Waipu TV. In other work, it acts for longstanding client VG Media in multiple disputes. Other clients include Deutschland Radio, 1&1 and Constantin Medien. Christian Masch is another key name; Claus Färber was promoted to counsel in January 2017.

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Germany: Private equity

Transactions

Transactions - ranked: tier 5

McDermott Will & Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP

McDermott Will & Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP ‘works thoroughly’ and stands out for its ‘quick response to enquiries’ and ‘intensive and reliable client service’; furthermore, the private equity group has ‘a very good business sense and a very good sense for the client and the other side’, which is applied when acting on mid-cap transactions. Its healthcare industry expertise was demonstrated when advising Apax Partners on acquisitions in the laboratory sector, including that of Alpha Medical. The group is also well versed in the real estate sector and other industries. ‘Very experienced and efficient’ practice head Nikolaus von Jacobs, who ‘always finds the right solution for both parties in negotiations’, advised Belgian private equity fund GIMV NV on the sale of the Mackevision group to Accenture. Thee group was strengthened by the arrival of Tobias Koppmann in June 2018 from Noerr, and former Dechert LLP partner Rüdiger Herrmann in April 2018

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Germany: Real estate and construction

Real estate

Real estate - ranked: tier 2

McDermott Will & Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP

With ‘a widely experienced’ team, McDermott Will & Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP provides ‘a well above-average service with excellent outcomes’, while also receiving praise for its ‘excellent understanding of the market and other business-related matters’. The highly regarded and ‘very experienced’ Jens Ortmanns, who ‘is not only very experienced but also very emphatic’, heads the practice, which increased its bench strength in 2017 by adding Oliver Hahnelt from Ashurst LLP in April and counsel Simon Weiß from Allen & Overy LLP in October; and, in January 2018, it expanded at partner level with the promotion of Philipp Grenzebach. Gregor Lamla, who has ‘a strong commercial understanding’, assisted Signa with the acquisition, financing and project development of the Elbtower project in Hamburg valued at €700m, while the client also received advice on the acquisition and financing of the Primus portfolio consisting of five properties from RFR for €1.5bn. Other work includes advising long-term client Art-Invest on the sale of Düsseldorf-based project development Fürst & Friedrich by way of a forward deal.

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Germany: Restructuring and insolvency

Restructuring

Restructuring - ranked: tier 3

McDermott Will & Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP

In addition to operational restructuring and advice on non-performing M&A transactions, McDermott Will & Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP also offers assistance with contentious matters for insolvency administrators, debtors and creditors in the examination and enforcement as well as the defence of any payment claims. Uwe Goetker and Matthias Kampshoff jointly head the practice: the former advised the insolvency administrator Lucas Flöther on the sale of several business divisions of the insolvent online service provider Unister to media investors such as Axel Springer Teaser Ad and Markets Inside Media; the latter represented, among others, an original equipment manufacturer in the context of Takata’s restructuring.

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