Event information
The Legal 500 is delighted to announce GC Summit Germany, which will take place at the Hilton Frankfurt City Centre, Frankfurt on 21 March, 2024.
GC Summit Germany looks at how GCs and senior in-house lawyers from Germany and around Central Europe deal with the legal and business challenges faced by domestic and international companies, major trends in the market, and planning for the future.
In association with our partners for this event–SquirePattonBoggs, Taylor Wessing, Seitz, and AlixPartners–this conference will include a series of panel sessions covering a variety of cutting edge and up to date topics for discussion. This includes understanding the most cutting-edge work in cross-border M&A, managing a company’s value chain, and the growing importance of ESG, amongst other topics that should interest all German GCs.
Drawing on the broad experience of our highly accomplished speakers from both legal firms and in-house counsel, this event will provide practical, hands-on advice. GC Summit Germany 2024 is a must-attend event for any in-house counsel in Germany and wider Europe aiming to expand their expertise and develop their own professional understanding.
Agenda
1.30pm – 2.00pm Registration and refreshments
2.00pm – 2.15pm Welcome address and keynote
2.15pm – 3.00pm Managing your company’s value chain – Risks and opportunities in a dynamic regulatory environment
- Volker Popp, director, AlixPartners
- Franziska Janorschke, global head of data privacy & AI compliance, Novartis
- Martin Petrasch, chief counsel of compliance, Siemens
- Dr. Wolfgang Bartels, general counsel, Mercedes-Benz Group
3.00pm – 3.30pm ESG in M&A transactions
In this panel, the team at Taylor Wessing provides an in-depth overview of why ESG has become more and more important in M&A transactions, as well as EU legislation and new laws coming into effect. This panel is a must-see for lawyers involved in sustainability reports and how to develop internal structures for companies.
The topic of sustainability is playing an increasingly important role in M&A transactions as sustainability becomes more and more a value-creating factor of target companies. There are various reasons for this:
Investors, particularly from the private equity sector, are committed to investing only in sustainable companies while banks ask about the sustainability efforts of the target company as part of the transaction financing in order to fulfill their legal obligations. Furthermore, purchasers want to know whether and which sustainability risks they are buying, as they will (in future) be obliged to report on the sustainability efforts of their subsidiaries due to legal obligations (Supply Chain Duty of Care Act, CSR Directive Implementation Act (CSR-RUG), CSRD, CSDDD). In addition, for reputational reasons, no company can afford to neglect the issue of sustainability and purchase sustainability risks.
For all these reasons, ESG due diligence is essential in every M&A transaction. This means two things for the legal due diligence: Firstly, compliance with specific ESG laws must be checked. Second, and this is a new but important part of ESG Due Diligence, the so-called soft ESG criteria must be reviewed, i.e. the existence of sustainability structures in the target company based on the requirements of the relevant sustainability laws.
The results of this review must then be incorporated into the contract negotiations. The range of options varies greatly and extends from purchase price adjustments, guarantees and indemnifications to closing actions to establish sustainability structures. What is actually necessary must be tailored to the respective transaction.
- Rebekka Krause, salary partner, Taylor Wessing
- Maria Rostock, general counsel, Borromin
- Timo Spitzer, executive director & head of legal Santander CIB Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Nordic Countries, Grupo Santander
3.30pm – 4.00pm Coffee break
4.00pm – 4.45pm Recent Compliance matters in the employment relationship
- Mark Mickasch, chief compliance officer, FUNKE
- Julia Arbery, partner, Stoneturn
- Özlem Yesilkaya, head of investigations (Asia Pacific & EMEA), global investigation department, Fresenius Medical Care AG
- Stephan Pötters, partner, Seitz
- Kathrin Bürger, partner, Seitz
4.45pm – 5.15pm Legal Finance, the Universe and all the Rest: A 360o View on Dispute Funding and Dispute Hedging
Jens Petry (Squire Patton Boggs), Stefan Kirsten (KRD Kirsten. Risk & Disputes) and Katharina Fröhlich (unilegion) explore the increasing popularity of litigation funding and insurance solutions among corporates, the impact of a claimant being funded or insured on a defendant’s strategy, and defendants’ legal and commercial options to restore the equilibrium.
- Jens Petry, partner, Squire Patton Boggs
- Dr. Stefan Kirsten, founder, KRD Kirsten. Risk & Disputes
- Katharina Fröhlich, head of fraud & collections operations, unilegion
5.15pm – 5.20pm Closing remarks
- Jens Fettig, head of legal and compliance Europe, Atos
5.20pm – 6.20pm Drinks and networking
Speakers
Dr. Stefan Kirsten, founder, KRD Kirsten. Risk & Disputes
Celebrated as “one of the best funders” and “a real stand-out name” who is actively “pushing boundaries in the field”, Stefan is widely recognised as a global thought leader in legal finance.
Having practiced in one of the world’s foremost litigation and arbitration groups for many years, he was among the first seasoned counsel to advise on third-party funding of disputes in continental Europe. He then continued to build from scratch the German and Nordic operations of a now top-ranked litigation funder and subsequently headed its global origination activities before returning to private practice.
At his award-winning boutique law firm KRD, Stefan now blends his passions for high-end dispute resolution and legal finance advisory – to offer his clients the best of both worlds.
Jens F. Petry, partner, Squire Patton Boggs
Jens Petry is a partner in the International Dispute Resolution and Litigation practices based in Squire Patton Boggs’ Frankfurt office. Jens’ practice focuses on national and international dispute resolution. He regularly represents clients before civil courts and international arbitral tribunals in complex cases with high values. His priorities are the areas of intellectual property (IP), commercial and corporate litigation and cartel damages litigation. In IP matters, Jens’ practice includes litigation in the fields of patent, trademark, design and copyright infringement and competition law. Furthermore, he advises clients on their global anti-counterfeiting programs and represents them as damaged parties in criminal and customs procedures.
In more than 500 disputes, Jens has enforced clients’ rights in various courts in Germany, including courts of appeal and the Federal Supreme Court, as well as in international arbitration. He has extensive experience in the fields of medical devices, life sciences, cosmetics, and luxury goods.
Katharina Fröhlich, head of fraud & collections operations, unilegion
Katharina Fröhlich is co-founder and managing director of unilegion, a company building and managing large class actions across Europe. unilegion’s clients get access to litigation funding through unilegion. Katharina is experienced in managing legal and operational risk: prior to her current role she held positions as legal counsel and Head of Fraud and Collections Operations, including Financial Crime Operations, with Barclays.
Franziska Janorschke, global head of data privacy & AI compliance, Novartis
German lawyer Franziska Janorschke has been employed at Novartis in Basel since 2006. She began in corporate HR, where she worked as a Business Partner for Corporate Functions. In 2010, Janorschke moved to the Corporate Security department as Region Head Europe of the Business Practices Office, where she was responsible for Whistleblowing and Internal Investigations. In 2013, she took over global management of the Business Practices Office and was responsible for whistleblowing and internal investigations across the group. She moved with this team, which has since been renamed the SpeakUp Office, to the legal department and later to the Ethics, Risk & Compliance area. Since 2022, Janorschke has headed the group’s data protection, as well as digital & AI compliance in the Ethics, Risk & Compliance function under the leadership of Dr. Klaus Moosmayer, Chief Ethics, Risk & Compliance Officer at Novartis.
Martin Petrasch, chief counsel of compliance, Siemens
Dr. Martin Petrasch ist ein deutscher Rechtsanwalt, der seit 2011 für die Compliance-Rechtsabteilung eines deutschen Großkonzerns tätig ist.
In dieser Position ist Herr Petrasch als Leiter der Abteilung Investigations and Regulatory hauptsächlich für interne Untersuchungen von Compliance-Fällen, die Bearbeitung von straf-rechtlichen Fällen mit Unternehmensbezug im Allgemeinen und rechtlich-regulatorische Fragen verantwortlich.
Herr Petrasch fungiert zudem im Konzern als zentraler Ansprechpartner für die Compliance Whistleblower Hotline und die externe Ombudsperson.
Seine Laufbahn begann Herr Petrasch bei der Bayerischen Justiz. Von 2001 bis 2005 war er Staatsanwalt für Wirtschaftskriminalität. Nach einer dreijährigen Delegation an das Bundesmi-nisterium der Justiz war er mehrere Jahre als Richter am Landgericht in Zivil- und Strafsachen (Wirtschaftsstrafkammer) tätig.
Herr Petrasch ist Autor zahlreicher Veröffentlichungen und Referent für Compliance-Themen auf nationalen und internationalen Compliance-Konferenzen. In diesem Zusammenhang kon-zentriert er sich vor allem auf Fragen der Corporate Compliance und (straf-)rechtliche Inhouse-Themen.
Dr. Wolfgang Bartels, general counsel, Mercedes-Benz Group
Wolfgang Bartels has been Head of Legal at Mercedes-Benz Group AG and Group General Counsel since September 1, 2021.
He studied law at the Eberhard-Karls-University of Tübingen and in Fribourg (Switzerland). He received his doctorate in Tübingen in 2005.
After working for an international lawfirm, Wolfgang Bartels joined the Legal Department in 2007. He held several management positions in the company, including in the department of “Mergers & Acquisitions” and as managing director and board member of various subsidiaries. From 2017 to 2020, he held various positions within the Legal Department, eg. Head of Sales and After Sales.
Before his appointment as Group General Counsel of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, he headed the Compliance Department and was Chief Compliance Officer.
Rebekka Krause, salary partner, Taylor Wessing
Mark Mickasch, chief compliance officer, FUNKE
Julia Arbery, partner, Stoneturn
Özlem Yesilkaya, head of investigations (Asia Pacific & EMEA), global investigation department, Fresenius Medical Care AG
Volker Popp, director, AlixPartners
Volker Popp has more than 15 years of experience in the automotive industry holding various leadership positions in Compliance, Finance and Internal Audit. He combines his in-house experience with more than five years of consulting expertise in internal investigations, risk management and compliance in AlixPartners’ Risk-practice.
Volker has guided clients through U.S.-monitorships, high-profile internal investigations and compliance reviews, as well as their transformation of target operating models in compliance, risk management and internal control. He served in advisory roles with substantial responsibility at some of the largest U.S.-monitorships to date, reviewing and assessing compliance and risk management systems to ensure that settlement agreements are successfully met.
Timo Spitzer, executive director & head of legal, Santander CIB Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Nordic Countries
Multi award-winning Head of Legal, including being named In-house ESG Champion at The Legal 500 Germany Awards 2024. Experienced with leading banks and major law firms. Dually qualified as German Rechtsanwalt and UK Solicitor with a First Class Honors Masters. Author of “The Importance of Human Leadership with Integrity in a Highly Regulated and Tech-Reliant Corporate Environment” published by Harvard Business Law Review.
Jens Fettig, head of legal and compliance Europe, Atos
Jens is the Head of Legal and Compliance for Central Europe at Atos Information Technology GmbH, where he has been working in various countries and roles. He is currently based in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, where he oversees legal operations, regulatory compliance, and provides strategic counsel for Atos in Central Europe. He has held several key positions within the company, including Legal Head of Digital, Deputy Head of Industries (Legal) and General Counsel of the Atos Nordics region. His international experience in the USA and Scandinavia has given him a unique perspective and understanding of the global legal landscape. Jens has a strong skill set in IT/IP law, dispute resolution, team leadership, risk management, strategic thinking, and contract negotiation.
In association with...
AlixPartners is a results-driven global consulting firm that specializes in helping businesses respond quickly and decisively to their most critical challenges—from urgent performance improvement to complex restructuring, from risk mitigation to accelerated transformation. These are the moments when everything is on the line—a sudden shift in the market, an unexpected performance decline, a time-sensitive deal, a fork-in-the-road decision. We stand shoulder to shoulder with our clients until the job is done, and only measure our success in terms of the results we deliver. We partner with you to make the right decisions and take the right actions. And we are right by your side. When it really matters.
Taylor Wessing is a global law firm that serves the world’s most innovative people and businesses. With 29 offices across 17 jurisdictions and an extensive network of best friends firms where we do not have a presence, we are able to assist our clients wherever they operate.
Deeply embedded within our sectors, we work closely together with our clients to crack complex problems, enabling ideas and aspirations to thrive.
We stand for excellent legal advice, in-depth, broad and yet to the point. With our guiding principle “Challenge expectation, together”, we are committed to questioning what is expected and thinking beyond the obvious. This is how we find the best solutions: together with our clients. This claim makes us particularly strong in areas where the milestones of digitalization are being set: Technology,Media & Communications, Life Sciences & Healthcare, Energy, Infrastructure & Real Estate, Industrials and Private Wealth. This is how we shape our clients’ business development today with the potential of tomorrow’s technologies.
