Milbank‘s German offices remain ports of call for clients in mid and large-cap transactions, wherein exits, as well as the acquisition and expansion of portfolio companies, are handled. Some of the most prestigious private equity companies, sponsors and investment shareholders feature as clients, and the firm leverages its international spread in assisting with cross-border transactions, with London, Hong Kong and the US being frequent partners. Steffen Oppenländer is an additional key contact for private equity funds as well as national and international corporations, and Norbert Rieger advises on public takeovers, public-to-private transactions, and on tax matters in the context of PE mandates. Sebastian Heim left the firm in March 2026 to join Kirkland & Ellis International LLP.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction: Lawyer & team quality
Client satisfaction: Billing & efficiency
Client satisfaction: Sector knowledge
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘Highly regarded. Deep bench and expertise across the German team.’
- ‘Sebastian Heim has excellent technical knowledge and problem solving skills.’
Key clients
- Advent International
- Allianz X
- Altor
- Apollo Global Management, LLC
- Ardian
- BBA Capitalpartners
- Carlyle
- Capiton
- CPPIB
- CVC Capital Partners
- Deutsche Beteiligungs AG
- ECM Equity Capital Management
Work highlights
Advised a consortium led by CVC Capital Partners on the intended acquisition of DB Schenker.
Assisted EQT Future with its investment in Flix SE as the lead investor in a consortium with Kühne Holding.
Advised General Atlantic as lead investor on a Series E funding round of Insider.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Other key lawyers
Michael Bernhardt; Martin Erhardt; Pascal Härdtner; Markus Muhs; Steffen Oppenländer; Leopold Riedl; Norbert Rieger