White & Case LLP > Frankfurt, Germany > Firm Profile

White & Case LLP
Bockenheimer Landstrasse 20
60323 Frankfurt am Main
Germany

Capital markets > Debt capital markets

White & Case LLP‘s integrated German-US capital markets practice counts national and international investment banks and an increasing number of issuers – including from the real estate sector – among its clients. It provides comprehensive advice on the whole array of debt products, including standalone (corporate) bonds, mortgage bonds, debt issuance, commercial paper and structured programs, as well as on alternative financing instruments such as promissory notes and registered bonds. Recently, the team also increasingly assisted with green and ESG-linked bonds. Karsten Wöckener, the key contact for the German practice, and Cristina Freudenberger, who made partner in January 2022, are among those dedicated to this variety of topics. Rebecca Emory and Gernot Wagner oversee advice in the high-yield area which represents a particular strength of the law firm. Yannick Adler (previously at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP) joined the team in August 2021; he advises on corporate financing and capital market transactions under New York law.

Testimonials

‘All colleagues are very friendly and willing to help, even on questions that are not directly related to the matter.’

‘Karsten Wöckener is always available and approachable. He has suggestions for advising on the matter efficiently. As a client, you don’t have the feeling that it’s just about the billing.’

‘Very good knowledge of the market; pragmatic approach; outstanding availability and commitment.’

‘Extremely committed and solution-oriented personalities.’

‘Very good accessibility, withstand very heavy loads, great quality of work.’

Key clients

ADLER Group S.A., vormals ADO Properties S.A.

Bankhaus Lampe KG

Barclays Bank Ireland PLC

BofA Securities, Inc.

Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Bund)

Citigroup Global Markets

Commerzbank AG

Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank

Credit Suisse Securities (Europe) Limited

Deutsche Bank AG

DIC Asset AG

Eintracht Frankfurt Fußball Aktiengesellschaft

E.ON SE

ETC Holdings Ltd

Eurogrid GmbH

Hapag-Lloyd AG

HSBC

J.P. Morgan Securities plc

Jefferies International Ltd.

Landesbank Baden-Württemberg

M.M. Warburg & CO

Merrill Lynch International

Morgan Stanley

MUFG Securities (Europe) N.V.

Société Générale

Symrise AG

UBS AG

UniCredit Bank AG

VERBUND AG

Work highlights

  • Advising the Federal Republic of Germany, represented by the Federal Ministry of Finance, which in turn was represented by the Federal Republic of Germany – Finanzagentur GmbH, on the first issue of a green federal bond. The green federal bond has a nominal value of €6.5bn, a term of 10 years and a fixed coupon of 0.00 percent.
  • Advising VERBUND AG on its issue of green and sustainable bonds with a volume of €500m.
  • Advising Adler Real Estate SA, formerly ADO Properties SA (Luxembourg), on several transactions, including the public takeover of Adler Real Estate AG through an exchange offer, the simultaneous strategic cooperation with Consus Real Estate AG and the subsequent takeover of control of the Consus Real Estate AG, the €450m rights issue and three corporate bonds of €400m (September 2020), €400m (November 2020) and €1.5bn (January 2021).

Information technology > IT transactions and outsourcing Tier 1

White & Case LLP‘s highly regarded outsourcing team is at the forefront of many innovation issues and focuses on technology transactions of all types, including IT infrastructure outsourcings, sourcing, BPOs and cloud computing. Jost Kotthoff heads the practice and is renowned for his advice in the field of system integration and software licensing. In a recent highlight, Detlev Gabel assisted Deutsche Bank with a strategic partnership with Google Cloud. The firm also makes excellent use of its internal, international network (particularly with North America) and legal tech applications.

Practice head(s):

Other key lawyers:

Work highlights

  • Advised Deutsche Bank AG on a strategic partnership with Google Cloud.
  • Advised Nordic Capital on the acquisition of BearingPoint RegTech, a leading international provider of innovative technology solutions for regulation, risk and supervision in the financial sector.
  • Advising Deutsche Bank AG on expanding its strategic partnership with Zurich to include the Postbank brand.

Restructuring and insolvency > Insolvency Tier 1

As a major international law firm, White & Case LLP focuses on complex, large and international insolvency cases. Thus, the firm’s insolvency administrators often act in an international context and have considerable expertise in sectors that traditionally operate across borders, such as aviation, the maritime sector and the automotive industry as well as in the sports, energy and retail sectors. Accordingly, practice head Sven-Holger Undritz is also an experienced insolvency administrator with expertise in the renewable energy industry, while also regularly incorporating his restructuring expertise into the design of insolvency plans. Biner Bähr is an experienced trustee and particularly experienced in avoidance actions and high-volume, insolvency-related transactions. Christoph Schulte-Kaubrugger is well versed in assisting large international corporations and clients from the energy industry with insolvency issues, while Sylvia Fiebig focuses on operational restructuring and change management issues that entail cross-border aspects; she also regularly advises stakeholders from the maritime industry. Jan-Philipp Hoos is a key contact for insolvency-related company sales and for the inclusion of receivables. Felix Höpker (in addition to insolvency law, also financial restructuring, reorganisation and distressed M&A) and Daniel Schwartz (restructuring and insolvency law, including taking on the role of general representative in self-administration and protective shield proceedings) made partner in January 2022.

Practice head(s):

Testimonials

‘Internationality, professionalism, pleasant personal cooperation.’

‘Ingenious and essentially unique meeting of large law firm and insolvency administration. High professional qualification meets direct practical relevance, an essentially unique interlocking of theory and practice.’

‘Professional expertise is very strong. Well recognized by all stakeholders.’

‘Always on the cutting edge and the first to know about changes in the law not only theoretically, but very quickly also practically. Pragmatic and economically sound solutions.’

‘Sylvia Fiebig distinguishes herself by presenting extremely complex issues in a comprehensible and structured way, even for non-lawyers. Great solutions and reliable implementation.’

Key clients

ESPRIT

IBG Monforts

Kronenbrot

ALUPRO GmbH & Co. KG

Piel & Adey-Gruppe

Papierfabrik Zerkall Renker & Söhne Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft

SPT PRODUCTION GmbH

e.GO Mobile AG

Sachsenring Bike Manufaktur GmbH

Das ist Catering GmbH / Das ist Gastronomie GmbH (Sarah-Wiener-Gruppe)

Kofler & Kompanie GmbH

Tayler Bekleidungshandelsgesellschaft mbH

Wohnen in Prora Vermögensverwaltung GmbH & Co. KG (WiP)

Innowatio GmbH

Framode GmbH – pimkie

Heinrich Huhn GmbH + Co. KG

GEMO-Gruppe

AvP

NICE Solar Energy GmbH

MSI Aircraft Maintenance Services International

1. FC Kaiserslautern

Lux Deutschland

Platin 1361.GmbH, Platin 1362.GmbH

Appelrath Cüpper GmbH

Goerlich Kunststofftechnik GmbH

Baltic Airport Mecklenburg GmbH

natGAS Aktiengesellschaft

Mensing Kleve Textilhandel GmbH

BONITA GmbH

Auto Wichert

Provecs Medical GmbH

Beate Uhse AG

ERNST KOCH GmbH & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft

KB Schmiedetechnik GmbH

Work highlights

  • Appointment as administrator for the international fashion group ESPRIT and subsequent restructuring of the business in Germany.
  • Accompanying the women’s fashion retailer Bonita as a trustee in the successful restructuring in the course of a protective shield procedure.
  • Accompanying the sale of the automotive supplier GEMO Group as insolvency administrator.

Banking and finance > Financial services: regulatory Tier 2

At White & Case LLP, a close cross-practice collaboration results in synergies at various interfaces such as corporate, capital markets and dispute resolution. Practice head Henning Berger is renowned for representing financial institutions in matters related to the ECB and BaFin, but also focuses on Brexit issues and security systems in the financial sector. Martin Weber, who made partner in January 2022, is dedicated to the same range of topics, while Sebastian Pitz (who also made partner in January 2022) focuses on M&A supervisory law. Common corporate-related matters include strategic partnerships, the establishment of German branches, restructuring and transactions. AML issues, which local partner Kirsten Donner regularly advises on, represent another steady part of the group’s case load. In addition to major German banks, the client base also includes numerous leading banks from the Nordic countries and southern Europe as well as fintech sector players.

Practice head(s):

Testimonials

‘Enormous market presence in the FinTech sector combined with in-depth expertise.’

‘Karsten Wöckener: Enormous commitment, also outside of mandates, in the field of FinTech. Broad knowledge beyond legal advice.’

‘Very strong negotiator, good network.’

‘Global coverage across multiple countries and industries with a wide range of skills. This gives us the cross-functional support we need.

‘Solution-oriented. Connected with financial regulators. Business savvy and easy to work with.

‘Large international law firm with personal and bespoke advice.’

‘The team around Dr. Henning Berger and Dr. Martin Weber impresses with longstanding experience and creative solutions in difficult situations. If necessary, they also think outside the box.’

Key clients

Deutsche Bank AG

LBBW

BayernLB

DZ Bank AG

Helaba

Nordea

Luminor

N26 Bank

DSGV

BdB

KfW

DKB

DZ Hyp AG

BVR

Work highlights

  • Advising German Savings Banks and Giro Association (DSGV) on regulatory findings by ECB and BaFin regarding protection system of the savings banks finance group.
  • Representation of Deutsche Bank, LBBW, BayernLB, DKB, Helaba, DZ BANK, DZ HYP and DVB Bank in proceedings before the European Court of Justice and the European Court of Justice against the Single Resolution Board (SRB) related to actions for annulment against the resolutions on the calculation of ex -ante contributions to the Single Resolution Fund (SRF).
  • Advised Deutsche Bank AG on a multi-year strategic partnership with Google Cloud. As part of the cooperation, Deutsche Bank’s switch to cloud services is to be accelerated and innovative products and services are to be developed together with the technology company.

Banking and finance > Fintech Tier 2

Due to its cross-practice and cross-location cooperation, White & Case LLP is adept at handling matters that encompass various legal subject areas and jurisdictions. This interaction results on one hand in a steady stream of instructions related to transactions and financing rounds and on the other hand in the team’s regular assistance with supervisory, data protection and IT law issues. In the latter area, the group also advises on the implementation of payment products and the development of platforms based on distributed ledger technology, while capital market expertise – for which Karsten Wöckener is also known – is frequently utilised in advising on the set up of cryptocurrency-secured bonds.

Practice head(s):

Testimonials

‘Enormous market presence in the fintech sector combined with deep expertise.’

‘Karsten Wöckener: Enormous commitment, also outside of matters, in the field of fintech. Broad knowledge beyond legal advice.’

‘Global coverage across multiple countries and industries with a wide range of skills. This gives us the cross-functional support we need.

‘Solution-oriented. Connected with financial regulators. Business-minded and easy to work with.

Key clients

Deutsche Bank

Facebook

Klarna Bank

Thinksurance

Finledger

ETC Holdings

FinanceApp AG

Tink

Fidelity

Corestate Capital

Deutsche Pfandbriefbank

Work highlights

  • Advising open banking platform Tink on the takeover of FinTecSystems.
  • Advising insurtech wefox, a leading pan-European digital insurance business and distribution platform, on the preparation, execution and closing of its $640m series C funding round, resulting in a post-money valuation of $3bn.
  • Advising ETC Holdings Ltd on the establishment of a cryptocurrency-backed bond issuance program to be issued by ETC Issuance GmbH, including three large-volume issuances in Spring 2021.

Banking and finance > Project finance Tier 2

White & Case LLP‘s client base, consisting of institutional lenders, sponsors and banks, can rely on the extensive project financing expertise of practice head Florian Degenhardt and his team; the team utilises their relevant skills, including expertise in ECA-covered, EIB and KfW financing as well as other promotional loans, in national and international infrastructure and energy projects. In the energy sector, the team was recently predominantly active in advising on wind and solar projects.

Practice head(s):

Other key lawyers:

Key clients

Atradius

Commerzbank AG

BayernLB

Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank

Deutsche Bank

Deutsche Bank Luxembourg S.A.

EKF Denmark

Euler Hermes

ING Bank

KfW IPEX Bank

Luxcara

MEAG

NordLB

Siemens

STRABAG

SMBC

Sunlife

Société Générale

UniCredit Bank

Work highlights

  • Advising MEAG MUNICH ERGO Asset Management GmbH and institutional lenders on the €520m refinancing of offshore wind farm Global Tech I in Germany.
  • Advised Deutsche Bank Luxembourg SA on the $3bn export credit agency (ECA)-backed hybrid corporate financing for Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) – a joint venture owned by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Shell, Total and Eni – for the development of the NLNG Train 7 project.
  • Advised an international consortium of financiers including German banks such as KfW IPEX, Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank, Siemens Bank and export credit insurers (Euler Hermes, EKF and Atradius) on the €2.7bn financing for the construction of 640 MW offshore wind farm Yunlin in Taiwan.

Capital markets > Equity capital markets Tier 2

White & Case LLP is characterised by a strong integration of German and US legal advice, which also reflects on team level: US lawyers include Gernot Wagner and Rebecca Emory – two key contacts in the Frankfurt office – as well as ECM and DCM expert Yannick Adler, who joined from Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP in August 2021. The team assists both issuers and underwriters with various domestic and cross-border equity transactions, such as capital increases and IPOs, including those related to SPAC. The group thereby regularly cooperates across practices, above all with its corporate and M&A colleagues, which subsequently enables assistance with follow-up corporate issues.

Practice head(s):

Testimonials

‘Excellent industry knowledge, fast and precise implementation.’

‘Gernot Wagner is the head of the team, fast, convincing, with good solutions even in difficult situations.’

Key clients

Adler Group S.A. (vormals ADO Properties S.A.)

Corestate Capital Holding S. A.

Deutsche Bank AG

Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA

Goldman Sachs

Jefferies

UBS

Work highlights

  • Comprehensive advice to Adler Group (formerly ADO Properties) on various transactions; including the takeover of Adler Real Estate Aktiengesellschaft, Consus Real Estate AG and WESTGRUND Aktiengesellschaft as well as a €450m capital increase with subscription rights and a €400m corporate bond.
  • Advising consortium banks led by Berenberg and Jefferies on the IPO of Friedrich Vorwerk Group SE, a subsidiary of MBB SE, with a total volume of €414 million.
  • Advising Deutsche Bank AG in connection with the IPO of Lakestar Spac I SE. Lakestar is the first SPAC with a focus on technology companies in Europe.

Capital markets > Structured finance and securitisation Tier 2

White & Case LLP advises financial institutions in particular in their roles as originators and investors on cross-border and domestic structured financial transactions and is, thanks to its cross-practice and cross-location cooperation, particularly well equipped for matters that require German, British and US legal knowledge. The group focuses on NPL securitisations and synthetic securitisations of leasing receivables, car loans and corporate loans among other matters. Dennis Heuer leads the team and regularly applies his regulatory expertise.

Practice head(s):

Testimonials

‘Exceptionally high level of service and on-time delivery with excellent quality.’

Key clients

ALD AutoLeasing Deutschland GmbH

BNP Paribas

Deutsche Bank

Europäische Investitionsbank (EIB)

European Investment Fund (EIF)

Hertz Corporation

Hoist Finance AB

Intrum AB

Santander Consumer Bank

Société Générale

Svenska Handelsbanken AB

Chorus Capital

Tier Mobility GmbH

Bayerische Landesbank

Landesbank Hessen-Thueringen Girozentrale

Work highlights

  • Advising Intrum AB on their investment and role as servicer in Piraeus Bank’s €1.92bn Phoenix NPL securitization.
  • Advised Hoist Finance AB on a strategic partnership with alternative investment manager Magnetar Capital for joint investments in non-performing loan portfolios on a pan-European scale with a total investment volume of approx. €1bn.
  • Lead and Drafting Counsel for Santander Consumer Bank in Germany on its €1.8bn ABS consumer loan transaction.

Compliance Tier 2

White & Case LLP‘s compliance advice includes matters pertaining to money laundering, corruption and embezzlement, while assistance with issues such as insider trading, technology and sanctions was also on the increase. The group regularly cooperates with colleagues from the white collar crime and internal investigations practices as well as with other offices from the global network, making the firm a good choice for cross-border matters. Headed by Karl-Jörg Xylander, the team advises clients from the media, automotive, banking and finance sectors as well as the manufacturing industries. Nils Clemm is experienced in manager consulting and Tine Schauenburg stands out due to specialist expertise in criminal tax law and administrative offences. Thomas Helck increasingly handles mandates with regard to allegations of corruption and tax evasion.

Compliance > Internal investigations Tier 2

White & Case LLP focuses on the financial, automotive, media and manufacturing sectors and advises on money laundering, corruption and embezzlement issues. Clients also draw on the team’s interface expertise such as banking regulation, corporate, IP, data protection and capital markets law as well as the close cooperation with the criminal tax law experts, who frequently assist with mandates in the cum-ex and cum-cum context. Thomas Helck handles matters pertaining to allegations of fraud and tax evasion, while Nils Clemm and practice head Karl-Jörg Xylander act at the interface between compliance and criminal law. Tine Schauenburg supports clients in defending against and the enforcement of claims for damages against corporate bodies.

Dispute resolution > Arbitration (including international arbitration) Tier 2

White & Case LLP fields an ‘extremely strong dispute resolution team for both state and arbitration disputes’. Clients from the technology, automotive, oil and gas, electricity, construction and chemical sectors are primarily assisted in disputes pertaining to post-M&A, commercial and supply contract law and liability issues. The team is led by arbitration expert Markus Burianski and regularly cooperates with its international offices on cross-border matters. Other key figures include technology specialist Christian Theissen, the contract law-savvy Alexander Lang and Alexandra Diehl, who is experienced in investment arbitrations and made partner in January 2022.

Practice head(s):

Testimonials

‘Dynamic, to the point, precise, forward-thinking, flexible.’

‘Dr. Alexandra Diehl: Very to the point, very organized, forward-thinking, flexible, committed, pragmatic.’

‘Dr. Burianski: Proactive, imaginative, highly professional and very concise questioning in oral negotiations.’

‘The team is efficient and able to provide clear, pragmatic and practical advice. This allows stakeholders to make crystal-clear decisions. Clear advice is of paramount importance, which is often forgotten – but that doesn’t happen at White & Case.’

‘Christian Theissen’s ability to guide us through a complex and highly contentious matter in an understandable manner was of the utmost importance and is greatly appreciated.’

‘White & Case has a very strong dispute resolution team for both state and arbitration disputes. Here the German team cooperates well with its international teams. Outstanding expertise and result-oriented advice characterize the team in particular.’

‘Markus Burianski: Very experienced, well connected, thinks economically.’

‘Alexandra Diehl: Very dedicated; has good contacts within the arbitration scene; creative and flexible thinking.’

Key clients

Daimler AG

Kraton Corporation

Samsung Electronics GmbH

Angelique International Limited

Grupo Unidos por el Canal, S.A. (GUPC)

Allianz RE

Work highlights

  • Representing an international chemical company in UNCITRAL arbitration proceedings against another international chemical company.
  • Advising and representing a Russian real estate development company in several disputes with former partners regarding damages and other claims in connection with three large real estate projects.
  • Representing Salini Impregilo SpA, Jan De Nul NV and Grupo Unidos por el Canal, SA (Panama Canal) in several arbitrations relating to the expansion of the Panama Canal.

Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation Tier 2

White & Case LLP‘s team has broad expertise in contentious commercial, corporate and insolvency matters, which are managed across countries and jurisdictions and stem from national and international players; recently, there has also been a noticeable demand for assistance with pandemic-related disputes. Christian Theissen has extensive experience in the field of autonomous driving, which is part of the firm’s technology and automotive industry focus. Chemistry and energy production represent further focal points, with matters in the latter area often being overseen by Thomas Burmeister. Christian Wirth and Sonja Hoffmann both assist with finance-related disputes, while the team is headed by Markus Langen, who is adept at liability issues. Gero von Jhering (litigation and arbitration) and Sara Vanetta (focus on insurance law) both made partner at the beginning of 2021.

Practice head(s):

Testimonials

‘Very good cross-practice group collaboration between litigation: Christian Wirth, Sara Vanetta, Christian Theissen and the regulatory practice.’

‘Excellent cooperation with other law firms in co-counsel situations.’

‘Sara Vanetta in particular has excellent communication skills and knows how to connect with clients, co-counsels and/or the courts – indispensable for a litigator.’

‘Very broad, strong team with proven regular court practice before all German courts.’

‘Particularly outstanding in oral negotiations: Christian Theissen and Sara Vanetta. Strategically strong: Christian Theissen.’

Key clients

Land Baden-Württemberg

Air Berlin

Facebook

Daimler

Baltic Cable AB

German Pellets

Infinus

Systaic

Credit Suisse

Allianz RE

Work highlights

  • Support for Allianz SE (Re) in enforcing and processing Covid-19 insurance claims reinsured by the client from more than 50 retrocessionaires worldwide.
  • Representation of the insolvency administrator of Air Berlin in national and cross-border legal disputes and advice on insolvency, contract and procedural law issues.

Industry focus > Energy Tier 2

White & Case LLP fields two renowned energy transaction lawyers: practice head Thomas Burmeister in Düsseldorf and Jörg Kraffel in Berlin, Burmeister also covers regulatory matters. Also well known is the project financing practice led by Florian Degenhardt from Hamburg. In joint cooperation with the public commercial law, capital markets, antitrust, public procurement, banking supervision and construction law practices, the firm comprehensively covers energy law. While the focus is on large-scale transactions, particularly in the cross-border context, the regulatory practice was highly active in 2020 and involved in proceedings before the courts and relevant authorities, among others. Other focus areas include the hydrogen economy, European grid regulation as well as energy civil law.

Practice head(s):

Testimonials

‘Outstanding client orientation and service level. With in-depth knowledge of German and EU law, Thomas Burmeister constantly creates added value for us.’

Key clients

EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG

Baltic Cable AB

Next Kraftwerke

EWE AG

E.ON SE

TransnetBW GmbH

Amprion GmbH, Open Grid Europe GmbH, Energienetz Mitte GmbH, sowie Westfalen Weser Netz GmbH

Nowega GmbH

ING Bank N.V. and bank consortium

Commerzbank AG

Deutsche Bank Luxembourg S.A.

Work highlights

  • Advising the energy company EWE AG on the establishment of a joint venture with the Aloys Wobben Foundation, sole shareholder of the wind turbine manufacturer ENERCON, for the joint operation, planning and development of wind farms.
  • Advising the German-Swedish interconnector Baltic Cable AB in ECJ proceedings and the corresponding submission by the Swedish administrative court as well as the subsequent implementation under German, Swedish and European law from 2020, including support for the legislative process for interconnector regulation.
  • Advised an international consortium of financiers, including German banks such as KfW IPEX, Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank, Siemens Bank and export credit insurers (Euler Hermes, EKF and Atradius) on the €2.7 billion financing for the construction of the 640MW Yunlin offshore wind farm in Taiwan and ongoing advice on further construction progress payments, including construction delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic, changes in financing and new financing to cover further construction costs.

Restructuring and insolvency > Restructuring Tier 2

As a major international firm offering insolvency administration and restructuring advice, White & Case LLP‘s activity profile is geared towards major international proceedings. Accordingly, the practice has special sector expertise in areas that are traditionally highly international, such as shipping, automotive, aviation and energy. the group focuses on financial restructuring, in which context it advises financial creditors such as banks and private debt funds on the restructuring of national and international financing; during the Covid-19 pandemic, this expertise led to instructions relating to development loans from rescue and restructuring aid packages, short-time work benefits and tax deferrals. In addition, the team led by Riaz Janjuah and Sven-Holger Undritz is well versed in issues relating to StaRUG proceedings. Janjuah is regularly in charge of the restructuring of international debtor companies using insolvency plans or foreign restructuring instruments, and Undritz advises on the restructuring of loan commitments at risk of default and on acquisitions of insolvent companies. Felix Höpker (financial restructuring, reorganisation, distressed M&A) and Daniel Schwartz (restructuring and insolvency law) made partner in January 2022.

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘The restructuring team not only masters the craft of national and international restructuring, but is also excellent at implementing the dovetailing of legal procedures and practical, or economic, consequences. The strategic importance is always visible and taken into account by the client.’

Key clients

Daimler AG

Deutsche Lufthansa AG

Exporo AG

Feilo Sylvania Germany GmbH

FMC Beteiligungs KG

Hamburg Commercial Bank AG

Karen Millen Holdco 1 Limited

Spiele Max GmbH

STA Travel GmbH

Work highlights

  • Advising Daimler AG on the restructuring of Dura Automotive Systems, Inc.
  • Advising the travel provider STA Travel GmbH, which got into financial difficulties as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic, on the implementation of self-administered insolvency proceedings and the sale of a large part of its nationwide branch network.
  • Advising Spiele Max GmbH on the preparation and implementation of protective shield proceedings.

White-collar crime > Advice to companies Tier 2

White & Case LLP‘s team frequently demonstrates its extensive white-collar crime and criminal tax expertise in cross-border instructions, which stem from the firm’s extensive international network – with its cooperation with offices in the US as well as in Paris and London being particularly notable -, as well as its highly international, cross-industry client base. The practice often represents corporations from the automotive, media and manufacturing industries in administrative offence proceedings, internal investigations and advises on compliance matters, while recently also receiving numerous instructions from clients in the real estate sector; the firm also has a particularly excellent reputation in the financial services industry. Alongside market-domineering criminal tax and cum-ex matters, the practice recently regularly assisted with issues relating to money laundering, foreign trade controls and sanctions and is further well versed in embezzlement and corruption matters as well as insider trading. Thomas Helck (white collar crime and administrative proceedings), Tine Schauenburg (focus on internal investigations) and Nils Clemm (particularly well versed in dealing with investigative and prosecuting authorities) are part of the team led by the renowned Karl-Jörg Xylander.

Practice head(s):

Testimonials

The team around Dr. Helck and Mr. Xylander is technically well versed and experienced .’

dr Helck has profound experience, also due to his past as a prosecutor .’

Banking and finance > Lending and borrowing Tier 3

White & Case LLP regularly advises national and international financial institutions on acquisition financing. These usually span several jurisdictions, for which the group is well equipped due to its cross-location capacities on one hand and its German, English and US law expertise at its German locations on the other. Vanessa Schürmann, head of the bank finance practice, specializes in advising on English law and also assists with matters pertaining to the high-yield sphere. Insolvency and restructuring-related issues such as the refinancing of existing loans or the modification of existing credit lines also represent parts of the group’s case load. Sébastien Seele made partner in January 2021 and assists with leveraged and investment grade acquisition as well as with corporate finance and financial restructurings.

Testimonials

‘For me the best team in Germany in the field of leveraged loans. Very good transaction expertise, good ideas regarding structuring; partners always available, going above and beyond the norm and making all timetables match.’

‘It’s very helpful that the W&C bond team is also very active and top notch – hence a certain flexibility between various capital market instruments.’

‘Vanessa Schürmann and Andreas Lischka – simply omniscient, always available, very nice to deal with, and make the impossible possible.’

‘Available at all times – high level of expertise – extremely solution-oriented – good sparring partner for problem areas.’

Key clients

Credit Suisse International, ING Bank N.V., ABN AMRO Bank N.V., Coöperatieve Rabobank U.A. und BNP Paribas Fortis NV/SA re Boels/Cramo

Battery Ventures

Barclays Bank, Deutsche Bank AG, J.P. Morgan und The Royal Bank of Scotland (firmierend als NatWest Markets)

Goldman Sachs

Stabilus S.A.

Banco Santander

Deutsche Bank AG, UniCredit Bank AG, Deutsche Bank Luxembourg S.A.

ING Bank N.V.

UniCredit Bank AG

Duke Street

Work highlights

  • Advising a banking consortium consisting of Credit Suisse International, ING Bank NV, ABN AMRO Bank NV, Coöperatieve Rabobank UA and BNP Paribas Fortis NV/SA as Mandated Lead Arrangers, Physical Bookrunners and Underwriters on a public-to-private takeover financing for Boels Topholding BV with a delayed drawdown tranche and subsequent reallocation of commitments and refinancing of this financing in June 2021.
  • Advising a banking consortium led by Goldman Sachs on the add-on acquisition financing of All4Labels, combining loans and bonds on a cross-border basis on shared collateral.
  • Advising UniCredit Bank AG and other banks in connection with the acquisition financing of SCHOCK GmbH by Triton.

Banking and finance > Real estate finance Tier 3

White & Case LLP is well equipped to cover various interdisciplinary issues through cooperation with its real estate and capital market practices, which regularly contribute to its real estate financing and refinancing advice. The group assists across various asset classes – recently in particular commercial, residential (including student residences), office and mixed-use properties – as well as with matters pertaining to individual properties and portfolio transactions. It acts for both borrowers and lenders, although lender-advice was recently particularly sought after; here, Thomas Flatten is a key contact for national and international banks and financial institutions. Sébastien Seele, who made partner in January 2021, regularly advises credit funds, sponsors as well as banks.

Practice head(s):

Key clients

J.P. Morgan

Deutsche Bank

x+bricks S.A.

ADLER Group S.A.

Goldman Sachs

Brookfield / International Campus

Summit Group

Aggregate Holdings S.A.

Work highlights

  • Advising Luxembourg real estate company ADLER Group SA, formerly ADO Properties SA, on several financings with a total volume of over €4bn.
  • Advising x+bricks group on the €500m acquisition financing of 120 grocery properties from TLG Immobilien AG and its subsidiaries.
  • Advising Summit Group on the sale of a large part of its German commercial portfolio to Tristan Capital Partners for an initial purchase price of €1bn.

Corporate and M&A > Corporate Tier 3

National and international (listed) companies regularly instruct the team at White & Case LLP on corporate and group law issues and particularly in the context of structural measures. Alexander Kiefner heads the team, which also assists executive and supervisory boards with contentious matters as well as corporate governance, compliance and group financing issues. Lutz Krämer is an experienced contact for aspects at the interface with capital markets law.

Practice head(s):

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Ms Sitter handled a cross-border transformation of a company very efficiently and in a friendly manner.’

‘Ms Sitter: It was extremely advantageous that she is also a notary public.’

Key clients

Adler Group S.A. (vormals ADO Properties S.A.)

AIXTRON SE

Battery Ventures

Consus Real Estate AG

Daimler AG

Deutsche Lufthansa AG

Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA

Evonik AG

Francotyp-Postalia Holding AG

IKB Deutsche Industriebank AG

Jefferies International

Jenoptik AG

Jost Werke AG

Klarna Bank AB

Korian Deutschland AG

Media Saturn

MediClin AG

Qatalyst Partners / Dialog Semiconductor

QIA

STIHL International GmbH

Strategic Value Partners

Symrise AG

Work highlights

  • Comprehensive corporate and capital markets law advice to the Adler Group SA on the formation of a new leading real estate group and advice on the takeover of Consus Real Estate AG.
  • Advising Qatalyst Partners on the public takeover bid by Renesas Electronics Corporation of Japan for Dialog Semiconductor Plc, a UK-based integrated circuit chip supplier listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
  • Advising Strategic Value Partners on the cross-border, identity-preserving chain change of legal form of Pfleiderer Group SA into a German limited partnership with a Dutch shareholder (BV & Co. KG).

Corporate and M&A > M&A: mid-sized deals (sub-€500m) Tier 3

White & Case LLP advises on all aspects of M&A transactions, but demonstrates particular expertise in public takeovers and real estate transactions, where the team receives interdisciplinary and cross-border support from the firm’s other experts, resulting in additional capacities in private equity as well as the technology, finance (including FinTech), energy and infrastructure sectors. The cross-border orientation is also reflected in practice head Darragh Byrne, who shares his time between Frankfurt and Stockholm. The team includes Middle East expert Murad M. Daghles and Tobias Heinrich, who also advises on PE issues, as well as Sebastian Pitz (transactional and regulatory matters) and Hans-Georg Schulze (M&A, corporate and commercial). Pitz and Schulze both made partners in January 202.

Practice head(s):

Testimonials

‘Mr Heinrich has built up an excellent team in W&C’s Frankfurt office, which is able to deliver results very quickly, competently and with outstanding quality, even with complex and difficult client requirements.’

Mr Heinrich has an excellent international network, so that even cross-border issues can be addressed quickly and easily.’

‘Mr Heinrich is an outstanding expert and industry insider who always succeeds in explaining complex issues to his clients across all hierarchical levels in an understandable way. Even with demanding and challenging client requests, he remains calm and always finds suitable and appropriate solutions.’

Key clients

aamundo Immobilien Gruppe

Corestate Capital Holding S.A.

Eco-Bat Technologies Limited

Kommunalkredit Austria AG

Lumos Investment Holdings

Next Kraftwerke

SoftBank Vision Fund II

Work highlights

  • Advising the SoftBank Vision Fund II as lead investor on the investment in a Series C financing round in TIER Mobility.
  • Advising the founders and shareholders of Next Kraftwerke on the 100% sale of their shares to Shell Overseas Investment BV.
  • Advising Kommunalkredit Austria AG on the planned acquisition of Ireland-based DEPFA BANK plc.  

Dispute resolution > Financial services: litigation Tier 3

With a focus on banking litigation and insurance law, White & Case LLP primarily assists German and international banks and regularly acts across practices and locations. The team is headed by Markus Langen, who has in-depth experience in liability issues and in the assertion of damages claims. Other key figures include Christian Wirth and Sonja Hoffmann, who are both well versed in class action lawsuits.

Practice head(s):

Other key lawyers:

Key clients

IKB Deutsche Industriebank AG

Hamburg Commercial Bank

Landesbank Baden-Württemberg

Unicredit Bank AG

Credit Suisse (Deutschland) AG

DZ BANK AG

Work highlights

  • Defending Hamburg Commercial Bank AG (HCOB) against claims by several investor before the regional courts in Kiel and Hamburg.

Industry focus > Telecoms Tier 3

White & Case LLP continued to act primarily in an advisory capacity for the cable companies of the Unitymedia Group, but is also active in regulatory support of over-the-top service providers, such as messenger service providers, especially companies from the US. Another key topic is transactional support, where the team advises on fibre optics, data centers and cloud structures, while also drawing on the interface expertise in M&A and project financing. In the automotive sector, Norbert Wimmer (Berlin) and his team advise on digitisation issues in connected cars and autonomous driving. The groups's expertise is complemented by a globally-oriented team of IT experts, project managers, data scientists and lawyers.

Practice head(s):

Other key lawyers:

Key clients

Unitymedia-Gruppe (jetzt Vodafone)

EWE AG

MEAG

Daimler

Deutsche Bank AG

Work highlights

  • Representing the Unitymedia Group (now Vodafone) in the conclusion of the long-standing dispute with the public service broadcasters in terms of the paradigm shift in distribution contracts.  

Information technology > Data protection Tier 3

White & Case LLP's German data protection team advises on German and European data protection law, cross-border data traffic and cyber security issues. The German group benefits from practice head Detlev Gabel's the great expertise. Facebook and Deutsche Bank are among their key clients.

Practice head(s):

Other key lawyers:

Work highlights

  • Advised Deutsche Bank AG on a multi-year strategic partnership with Google Cloud.
  • External legal counsel to Facebook on a very large portfolio of international litigation and out-of-court litigation spanning more than 160 jurisdictions on six continents.
  • Advising a bank on how to respond to a large-scale cyber attack.

Intellectual property > Unfair competition Tier 3

International law firm White & Case LLP is a popular address for cross-border disputes and projects. The competition law and trade mark expertise of Markus Mette (Hamburg) and his team is primarily called upon by technology-related corporations, clients from the automotive sector and – the particularly fast-growing client field – life sciences and pharmaceutical industries. In addition, the team is well versed in social media matters. The in-house Practice Technology team supports the group and clients with the development of applications to facilitate the efficient handling of mandates, such as eDiscovery applications. Local partner Stefan Haiplik (Hamburg) is an IT and IP expert and advises on advertising measures and branding, among others.

Practice head(s):

Other key lawyers:

Work highlights

  • Advice on trademark and unfair competition law to an Asian automobile manufacturer on the international advertising campaign for the launch of a new model, including defense against alleged infringement claims by other manufacturers.
  • Advising a large US pharmaceutical company on EU and US protection of secrets law as part of the international strategic orientation of certain fields of action at the interface to antitrust law.
  • Representing Facebook in numerous international litigation, both in and out of court, spanning more than 160 jurisdictions on six continents.

Private equity > Transactions Tier 3

White & Case LLP focuses on advising private equity investors and their portfolio companies on transactions that usually take place in the mid-market segment. In international transactions, clients benefit from the team's close links with locations in Europe, Asia and the US. Practice head Stefan Koch has longstanding experience in assisting with takeovers, LBOs and MBOs. His team includes Jan Ole Eichstädt and Tomislav Vrabec, who both made partner in early 2021 and extensively cover M&A and PE.

Practice head(s):

Testimonials

‘Very fast, responsive, pragmatic and very deep into the issues with an excellent commercial understanding. Compared to other law firms, they really care about finding the best way for the client and not getting bogged down in theoretical problems!’

Key clients

Ardian

Battery Ventures

Deutsche Beteiligungs AG (DBAG)

Duke Street

IK Investment Partners

Nordic Capital

Goldman Sachs

The Carlyle Group

FSN

Quad-C

Triton

Valedo

Verdane Capital

wefox Holding AG (vormals FinanceApp AG)

Work highlights

  • Advised Nordic Capital on the acquisition of BearingPoint RegTech.
  • Advising Quad-C portfolio company AIT Worldwide Logistics on the acquisition of the European transport logistics division of the German FIEGE Group through a cross-border carve-out and advising Quad-C on the subsequent $1.2 billion sale of AIT Worldwide Logistics to The Jordan Company.
  • Advising Battery Ventures on the voluntary public takeover bid for EASY SOFTWARE AG.

Public sector > Planning and environment Tier 3

White & Case LLP's clients include German and international companies from the automotive, energy, chemical and real estate development sectors. The team assists with large infrastructure projects, offers various regulatory advice, especially for the automotive industry, and is also active in complex contentious proceedings. Environmental and planning law advice in the context of large transactions forms another essential part of the practice. Norbert Wimmer heads the 'strongly client-oriented' team and draws on experience in regulated industries and projects. Counsel Anna Burghardt-Kaufmann supports him and focuses, among other matters, on chemicals and mining law as well as soil protection.

Practice head(s):

Testimonials

‘The administrative law/ litigation team at White & Case from the Berlin office impresses with its specialist knowledge in a legal area for which there has hardly been any higher court jurisprudence to date.’

‘The colleagues are very pleasant to work with; they are strongly client-oriented, always approachable and always extremely professional in their demeanor, even in crisis situations. In addition, the human and collegial component is so convincing that you feel extremely comfortable working together.’

Key clients

Daimler

50Hertz

Infraserv

Work highlights

  • Advising 50Hertz on the planned new, more than 500 km long DC high-voltage line between Saxony-Anhalt and southern Bavaria.
  • Participation in the current disputes about the consumption and emission behavior of cars/vans, trucks/buses (including Europe and Asia): Comprehensive advice to Daimler on regulatory issues, both with a view to historical risks and with a view to the implementation of the gradually in new regulations coming into force.
  • Advising the Japanese fine chemicals company DIC Corp. and the US subsidiary Sun Chemical Corp. on the planned acquisition of BASF’s global pigments business – BASF Colors & Effects (BCE).

Public sector > State aid Tier 3

White & Case LLP fields ‘ very good lawyers with extensive experience in state aid law‘ who advise a client base consisting of energy supply companies, financial institutions, pharmaceutical companies and airlines, on state aid compliance among other matters; most recently, the group was particularly active in assisting companies severely affected by the pandemic. Counsel Christoph Arhold in Brussels and Berlin leads the team; he is known for his European law expertise regarding the internal market, foreign trade and state aid. Kai Struckmann has now left the firm.

Practice head(s):

Testimonials

‘Very good lawyers with extensive experience in state aid law.’

‘Particularly recommended: C. Arhold (Berlin). ‘

Real estate and construction > Real estate Tier 3

The advisory services offered by White & Case LLP include all aspects of real estate law, which lead to regular instructions from international investors and real estate developers in the context of complex transactions, including large commercial and residential real estate portfolios. In these scenarios, particularly multi-party contracts, the firm offers transaction management platform Litera-Transact, which assists with due diligence and contract design. The entailing financing advice as well as the restructuring of real estate companies is also part of the consulting spectrum. Key contacts include Endrik Lettau, who also assists with real estate projects in corporate and tax law, and Andreas van den Eikel, whose focus is on commercial tenancy and real estate law. In April 2021, the team also welcomed transaction specialist Patricia Galts from Linklaters .  

Testimonials

‘Very experienced team, excellent knowledge of the market.’

‘Endrik Lettau: Very experienced lawyer with outstanding expertise. Extremely well connected.’

Key clients

aam2core Immobilien Gruppe

Edge Technologies Deutschland B.V.

Interxion: A Digital Realty Company

Adler Real Estate AG

x+bricks Gruppe

Corestate Capital Holding S.A.

Greenman OPEN

DIC Asset AG

p property GmbH

EWE AG

W5 Gruppe

Work highlights

  • Advising DIC Asset AG as investment manager on the acquisition of the Goldenes Haus office property in Frankfurt am Main as part of an asset deal for a regulated special fund.
  • Advising the x+bricks group on the acquisition of 120 food anchored properties with a transaction volume of around €500 million.
  • Advising Summit Group on the sale of a large part of its German commercial portfolio to Tristan Capital Partners for an initial purchase price of €1 billion.

Corporate and M&A > M&A: large deals (€500m+) Tier 4

Large-cap transactions handled by White & Case LLP often feature aspects pertaining to the finance, technology, energy, private equity and infrastructure sectors. The team is led by Darragh Byrne and has particular experience in public takeovers and also demonstrates expertise in advising on real estate transactions. Thanks to the large network, the team is well positioned for cross-border mandates. Murad M. Daghles has experience in Middle East-related transactions. In January 2022, the team expanded internally with the partner promotions of Sebastian Pitz (transactions as well as regulatory issues) and Hans-Georg Schulze (M&A, corporate and commercial).

Practice head(s):

Testimonials

‘Very communicative and proactive behavior; quick implementation of tasks; good coordination between the individual areas and thus avoidance of duplication.’

‘Ms. Wijnmalen has a very good understanding of the complexity of large M&A transactions and is very good at coordinating the individual areas appropriately and quickly. The result is a neatly coordinated contract. In addition, Ms. Wijnmalen also knows the internal hurdles of a large corporation and can present customized solutions and suggestions accordingly.’

‘Murad Daghles as a partner for corporate law is characterized by solid and reliable transaction support and clear communication.’

Key clients

Adler Group S.A. (vormals ADO Properties S.A.)

Deutsche Bank AG

EWE AG

Panasonic Corporation

PEAC (Germany) GmbH

Qatalyst Partners

Quad-C

wefox Holding AG (vormals FinanceApp AG)

x+bricks Gruppe

Work highlights

  • Advising ADO Properties SA on a further step towards the planned takeover of Consus Real Estate AG.
  • Advising the energy company EWE AG on the establishment of a joint venture with the Aloys Wobben Foundation, sole shareholder of the wind turbine manufacturer ENERCON, for the joint operation, planning and development of wind farms.
  • Advising Panasonic Corporation on the German aspects of its strategic 20% stake in Blue Yonder.

Insurance > Insurance litigation Tier 4

White & Case LLP's insurance litigation practice primarily focuses on high-end business, with cyber risk matters and its close cooperation with the firm's M&A practice becoming increasingly important. Practice head Christian Wirth particularly advises on major claims, captive solutions, reinsurance and alternative risk transfer. Damages claims related to W&I and business closure insurance (which became a more vital topic in light of the Covid-19 crisis) also form part of the team's advice portfolio. Sara Vanetta, who is experienced in D&O and life insurance funds, made international partner in January 2021.

Practice head(s):

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

Good networking with other practice areas of the law firm. Fast and flexible reaction. Great level of experience.

Christian Wirth: Experienced strategist. Very thoughtful advisor.

Key clients

Allianz SE (Re)

Work highlights

  • Advising Allianz SE (Re) on the enforcement and settlement of the Covid-19 insurance claims reinsured by it from more than 50 retrocessionaires worldwide.

Trade and distribution > Foreign trade law Tier 4

The German practice of White & Case LLP advises clients comprehensively on investment control in the context of transactions and M&A deals, in which an FDI monitoring tool, developed by the firm, is used. The group also has expertise in export control and compliance. Antitrust lawyer Tilman Kuhn regularly assists with high-volume investment control proceedings and heads the practice together with Tobias Heinrich, who focuses on cross-border M&A transactions and frequently advises clients in the technology sector on investment control. Local partner Thilo-Maximilian Wenke is experienced in competition law, including merger control proceedings.

Practice head(s):

Key clients

Global  Wafers

Work highlights

  • Advising Global Wafers on the takeover of their direct competitor Siltronic AG.
  • Advised the Japanese DIC Corporation (and its subsidiary Sun Chemicals) on the takeover of the global pigment business of BASF AG.
  • Advising various, primarily Asian and Chinese investment funds with regard to general investment strategies as well as with regard to specific transactions and optimal structures from an investment perspective.

Germany > Antitrust Tier 5

White & Case LLP‘s internationally well-connected team advises clients on global competition issues, EU regulations as well as on national antitrust law and also has extensive expertise in merger controls as well as in obtaining clearance certificates from the Federal Ministry of Economics; in cartel follow-on damages claims, the team represents both defendants and plaintiffs. Axel Schulz and the ‘very agile and tactically very sophisticatedTilman Kuhn jointly head the practice. Justus Herrlinger joined DLA Piper at the end of 2021. Antitrust lawyer Lars Petersen, who also has public law expertise, made partner in January 2022.

Practice head(s):

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Broad and very well-coordinated team that also offers seamless, high-quality advice across borders.’

‘Large international network, great international know-how, particularly in relation to the handling of global multi-jurisdictional mergers, but also specialists in peripheral areas and related areas of law.’

‘Tilman Kuhn is the head of the group – very agile and tactically very clever.’

‘Very good advice, especially with regard to merger control both in Germany and the EU and multi-jurisdictional. ‘

‘Good, young and innovative team.’

White & Case’s antitrust team is unique in its depth of knowledge, practical knowledge, agility and cross-jurisdictional cooperation. They are also very up to date on new trends and innovations, and provide assistance to clients with legal issues.’

‘Tilman Kuhn and his long-standing, growing team work closely with other White & Case offices and are experienced in complex multi-jurisdictional engagements, particularly in merger control, FDI, and across a wide range of industries, with particular experience in the industrial sector, technology, chemicals and automotive.’

Tilman Kuhn has established himself as one of the go-to lawyers in Germany over many years!’

Key clients

Symrise

Allianz

KWS Saat

Edeka

Aixtron

EWE

Panasonic

Autoliv

Work highlights

  • Successful advice and representation of Pentax as a third party before antitrust authorities (EU, US, Canada, Brazil, Germany, Austria) on the merger of international competitors.
  • Advising GlobalWafers on the takeover of their direct competitor Siltronic AG. The advice and global coordination includes merger control and investment control law proceedings before authorities in Germany (merger control and FDI), Austria, USA (merger control and FDI), UK, China, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore and Korea.
  • Advice on merger control law to Japanese fine chemicals company DIC Corp. and US subsidiary Sun Chemical Corp. regarding competition law aspects of the planned acquisition of BASF’s global pigments business – BASF Colors & Effects (BCE).

Information technology > Information technology and digitalisation Tier 5

White & Case LLP‘s Jost Kotthoff is known for his work in outsourcing and IT transactions and leads the firm’s IT and digitalization practice. The practice is particularly active in advising on cloud matters, IT contracts as well as on financial technology, where Hamburg-based Martin Munz is the key contact. Additionally, Sylvia Lorenz assists with all aspects concerning digital platforms, especially with contract negotiations.

Practice head(s):

Other key lawyers:

Work highlights

  • Advised Deutsche Bank AG on a multi-year strategic partnership with Google Cloud.
  • Advising a leasing company on the purchase of its central software for customer contract management along with corresponding maintenance services.
  • Representing various clients in out-of-court and judicial matters relating to failed IT projects.

Media > Entertainment Tier 5

Norbert Wimmer and Sylvia Lorenz head White & Case LLP's media team which particularly stands out for its extensive forensic and media regulatory skills. The practice recently assisted with matters pertaining to the new media state treaty, transparency requirements and licensing requirements for streaming services. American technology companies instruct the team particularly frequently.

Key clients

Facebook

Spotify

Unitymedia-Gruppe

Daimler-Gruppe

Work highlights

  • Acted as external legal counsel to Facebook on a portfolio of international litigation and out-of-court litigation.
  • Advised Spotify on global content and regulatory compliance.
  • Completion of the long-standing dispute between the previously second-largest German cable network operator, Unitymedia, which is now part of the Vodafone Group, and the public broadcasters in the sense of a paradigm shift in distribution contracts.

Germany > Tax Tier 5

Due to its strong cooperation with the M&A, capital markets and debt finance teams, White & Case LLP's tax advisory strength lies in tax advice on structured and asset-based financing as well as cross-border M&A transactions. Thanks to the full integration within the firm's global practice, the team is well equipped to handle multi-jurisdictional matters. Last but not least, this internationality is embodied by practice head Bodo Bender, who also co-heads the EMEA tax law practice. Tim Bracksiek (domestic and international tax law) made partner in January 2022.

Practice head(s):

Other key lawyers:

Key clients

Adler Group

Credit Suisse International, ING Bank N.V., ABN AMRO Bank N.V., Coöperatieve Rabobank U.A. und BNP Paribas Fortis NV/SA

J.P. Morgan and Deutsche Bank

x+bricks S.A.

PEAC (Germany) GmbH (PEAC Finance Europe), HPS Investment Partners

HT Troplast

Santander Consumer Bank AG

AIT Worldwide Logistics

Corestate Capital Holding S.A.

Deutsche Bank AG / Deutsche Bank AG and DWS Investment GmbH

EIG Global Energy Partners

Next Kraftwerke

The Carlyle Group

Qatar Investment Authority

Eintracht Frankfurt Fußball Aktiengesellschaft (Eintracht Frankfurt)

Friedrich Vorwerk Group SE

Nordic Capital

Marriott International, Inc.

Summit Gruppe

Work highlights

  • Advice to the Adler Group SA on the business combination with ADLER Real Estate and Consus Real Estate including the public takeover bid to the shareholders of WESTGRUND.
  • Advising the Marriott International, Inc. group on the squeeze-out of Design Hotels AG under transformation law.
  • Advising Summit Group on the sale of a large part of its German commercial portfolio to Tristan Capital Partners for an initial purchase price of €1 billion.

Germany > Employment Tier 6

White & Case LLP‘s employment law team is led by newly appointed Hendrik Röger since Frank-Karl Heuchemer left the firm in the summer of 2021 and joined HLB HUSSMANN. The advisory focus remains on the interface with M&A and corporate as well as restructuring and insolvency. Röger is a key contact for the latter, he also frequently advises national and international clients from the transport and energy sectors and handles compliance issues as well as litigation.

Practice head(s):

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘The team supporting us has very extensive practical knowledge and can convey this in a very understandable and multilingual manner. There is a contact person within the team who is available to answer questions at any time.’

‘Hendrik Röger as a partner has a high degree of flexibility and intercultural competence in addition to in-depth specialist knowledge and industry knowledge. These are highly valued qualities and are a difference to the competition.

Key clients

Panasonic Corporation

EWE AG

STA Travel GmbH

BONITA GmbH

Quad-C / AIT Worldwide Logistics

Nordic Capital

Deutsche Telekom AG

FMC / Maybach Medical

Feilo Sylvania Germany GmbH, Erlangen

Adler Group S.A. (vormals ADO Properties S.A.)

Svenska Handelsbanken

Corestate Capital Holding S.A.

Deutsche Beteiligungs AG

Founders of INPOSIA Solutions GmbH

PEAC Finance Europe / HPS Investment Partners

AvP Group

Heinrich Huhn GmbH + Co. KG

Sachsenring Bike Manufaktur GmbH

Piel & Adey-Gruppe

GEMO Group

FSG Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft

Spiele-Max

Esprit

Work highlights

  • Advising the energy company EWE AG on the establishment of a joint venture with the Aloys Wobben Foundation.
  • Advice on employment law to the travel provider STA Travel GmbH, which got into financial difficulties as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic, on the implementation of self-administered insolvency proceedings and on the sale of a large part of its nationwide branch network. The buyer in the course of a transferred restructuring is cockpit-Flug & Touristik GmbH, a company of the NTRV Group.
  • Advice on employment law to BONITA GmbH in connection with restructuring as part of protective shield proceedings in self-administration.

Public sector > Commercial administrative law

White & Case LLP's practice represents clients in constitutional proceedings and further advises US internet giants on commercial administrative matters; particularly noteworthy is the group's advice on banking regulatory law in Germany as well as on European level.

United States > Tax > US taxes: non-contentious Tier 2

White & Case LLP‘s New York-based practice is consistently engaged on big-ticket transactions, restructurings, and other advisory mandates for a range of blue-chip clients from the worlds of private equity, shipping, energy, pharmaceuticals, and real estate. Global tax head and IP and securities specialist Sang Ji leads the team, overseeing numerous multi-billion dollar M&A structuring and tax planning matters. David Dreier focuses on bank financing and securitization transactions, while Steven Gee is recommended for his expertise in intellectual property. In Los Angeles, Andrew Kreisberg regularly advises clients on fund formations, joint ventures, and REITs. IPO and business combination specialist Scott Fryman joined the practice from Kirkland & Ellis LLP in June 2021. All named lawyers are based in New York unless noted otherwise.

Practice head(s):

Sang Ji

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Very experienced with a deep bench strength that can handle all aspects of a transaction.’

‘Understand the commercial needs and provide practical recommendations.’

Key clients

Hertz Global Holdings, Inc.

Roivant Sciences Ltd

Soaring Eagle Acquisition Corp.

Panasonic Corporation

Sempra Energy

Macquarie Infrastructure Corporation

Anthem, Inc.

Flying Eagle Acquisition Corp.

Falcon Capital Acquisition Corp.

REE Automotive Ltd.

SES Holdings Pte. Ltd.

Ascendant Digital Acquisition Corp.

Landcadia Holdings II, Inc.

InterPrivate III Financial Partners Inc.

Diamond S Shipping, Inc.

Golden Nugget Online Gaming, Inc.

DP World PLC

CVC Capital Partners

Quad-C Management, Inc.

NTT Data, Inc.

Work highlights

  • Represented Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. and certain affiliates during their Chapter 11 cases and restructuring, which resulted from the catastrophic impact of COVID-19 on businesses in US, Europe, Australasia and Asia-Pacific.
  • Advised Roivant Sciences Ltd. on a business combination transaction with Montes Archimedes Acquisition Corp, a SPAC sponsored by Patient Square Capital.
  • Represented Soaring Eagle Acquisition Corp in its $15bn business combination with Ginkgo Bioworks, Inc.

United States > Media, technology and telecoms > Outsourcing

White & Case LLP‘s technology transactions team is active on outsourcing deals including master service agreements, licensing agreements and commercial collaborations. The practice also provides input on corporate transactions involving outsourcing vendors, such as Panasonic’s recent acquisition of supply-chain software provider Blue Yonder. Arlene Hahn is the key name to note in outsourcing with Jost Kotthoff serving as global head of technology transactions.

Practice head(s):

Jost Kotthoff

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘W&C added value through the considerable domain knowledge of our specific engagement, they had experience that was relevant for our software OEM agreements.’

‘Arlene Hahn was a great help to the team, she efficiently kept us focused on the process and ensured that we kept abreast of comments and negotiation topics. She added her industry knowledge to the negotiation which helped identify issues and help find resolutions based on current industry practices.’

‘We needed a law firm with unique legal, technical, and software experience and expertise to balance the legal needs of both companies, ensure that we complied with the complex legal requirements of our relationship, and understood how to translate our concepts into an understandable simple legal framework. We selected White & Case and I could not have been happier. Over the course of several months and more than 80 contract revisions, the team diligently met our needs, pivoted on a dime as needed (which was often), and was extremely responsive. The net result was the largest agreement signed between our companies and the framework through which all of our joint products will flow. We have already seen the fruit of our labors with large orders and expect many, many more. This could not have been done without the White & Case team, more specifically Arlene Hahn.’

‘Arlene Hahn was involved from nearly the beginning of the Master OEM Agreement (MOEMA). She drove the meetings, took notes, translated our ramblings into a comprehensible legal framework, recorded actions, and kept us on task. Over the course of several months and more than 80 contract revisions, she ensured that we stayed on track and moved toward the end goal. I assure you that this was not just a case of excellent “project management”. While the complex project with many stakeholders was expertly managed, Arlene was also able to balance the needs of multiple stakeholders and ensure the complete satisfaction of those involved, which is a rarity with so many legal and commercial people. Moreover, Arlene is that very rare lawyer that combines a deep understanding of clients’ strategic goals with the tactical ability to reflect this intuitively and comprehensively in the final agreement. I would unhesitatingly recommend Arlene and her White & Case team to any company looking to outsource legal support for a technology transaction.’

Key clients

Panasonic Corporation

Avast plc

Soaring Eagle Acquisition Corp

dMY Technologies

SES Holdings Pte. Ltd.

Fusion Acquisition Corp.

Falcon Capital Acquisition Corp.

ION Acquisition Corp 1 Ltd.

CM Life Sciences

Work highlights

  • Advised Panasonic Corporation on its acquisition of Blue Yonder, a leading end-to-end, and digital fulfillment platform provider.
  • Represented Avast plc, one of the world’s largest cybersecurity companies, on the carve-out disposal of its Family Safety Mobile Business to Smith Micro Software, Inc.

White & Case is an international law firm that serves companies, governments and financial institutions. Our long history as a global firm means we are uniquely placed to help our clients resolve their most complex legal challenges wherever they are.

Industries
Learn about the breadth of our industry experience
www.whitecase.com/law#industries

Practices
Explore how we deliver results for our clients
www.whitecase.com/law#practices

Regions
Discover where we work with our clients globally
www.whitecase.com/law#regions

PhotoNamePositionProfile
Yannick Adler photo Yannick AdlerPartner
Jochen Artzinger-Bolten photo Jochen Artzinger-BoltenPartner
Bodo Bender photoDr Bodo BenderPartner
Tim Bracksiek photoDr Tim BracksiekPartner
Stefan Bressler photoDr Stefan BresslerPartner
Markus Burianski photoDr Markus BurianskiPartner
Darragh Byrne photo Darragh ByrnePartner
Thilo Diehl photo Thilo DiehlPartner
Alexandra Diehl photoDr Alexandra DiehlPartner
Irina Dmitrieva photo Irina DmitrievaCounsel
Jan Ole Eichstädt photoDr Jan Ole EichstädtPartner
Rebecca Emory photo Rebecca EmoryPartner
Thomas Flatten photoDr Thomas FlattenPartner
Cristina Freudenberger photoDr Cristina FreudenbergerPartner
Detlev Gabel photoDr Detlev GabelPartner
Josef Große Honebrink photo Josef Große HonebrinkCounsel
Oliver Habighorst photoDr Oliver HabighorstPartner
Tobias Heinrich photoDr Tobias HeinrichPartner
Dennis Heuer photoDr Dennis HeuerPartner
Sonja Hoffmann photoDr Sonja HoffmannPartner
Alexander Kiefner photoDr Alexander KiefnerPartner
Roger Kiem photoProf Dr Roger KiemPartner
Andreas Kleinschmidt photoDr Andreas KleinschmidtPartner
Andreas Knebel photoDr Andreas KnebelCounsel
Stefan Koch photoDr Stefan KochPartner
Jost Kotthoff photoDr Jost KotthoffPartner
Lutz Krämer photoDr Lutz KrämerRetired Partner of Counsel
Alexander Lang photoDr Alexander LangLocal Partner
Markus Langen photo Markus LangenPartner
Endrik Lettau photo Endrik LettauRetired Partner of Counsel
Andreas M. Lischka photo Andreas M. LischkaPartner
Sebastian Pitz photo Sebastian PitzPartner
Sebastian Schrag photo Sebastian SchragPartner
Vanessa Schürmann photo Vanessa SchürmannPartner
Sébastien Seele photoDr Sébastien SeelePartner
Christian Theissen photo Christian TheissenPartner
Tomislav Vrabec photo Tomislav VrabecPartner
Gernot Wagner photo Gernot WagnerPartner
Ingrid Wijnmalen photo Ingrid WijnmalenPartner
Karsten Wöckener photo Karsten WöckenerPartner