Germany: Insolvency & Restructuring
While the recent economic downturn has affected countries across Europe, Germany has weathered the storm better than most. However, demand for the country’s leading bankruptcy and restructuring lawyers is growing, and we identify 27 practitioners who stand out for their counsel to domestic and international clients in this field.
GÖRG Partnerschaft von Rechtsanwälten has three of its partners listed in this chapter. Klaus Hubert Görg is a “leader in the field”, recognised for his “outstanding practice over many years”. Martin Stockhausen is highly rated for his restructuring work on behalf of debtors, insolvency administrators and institutional creditors. The “first class” Helmut Balthasar is recommended for his restructuring work as well as for his knowledge of banking regulation and corporate practice.
Two highly rated lawyers from Schultze & Braun in Achern make the list. Annerose Tashiro is head of the cross-border restructuring and insolvencies department and is “very active in the market”. Recognised by our sources both in Germany and internationally, she has advised German creditors in US Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 proceedings. Eberhard Braun is the senior partner of the firm and “one of the pre-eminent figures in the industry”. He has handled a range of insolvency proceedings, including those of the Flowtex Group, Winterling AG and Fairchild Dornier, and is also recognised for his writing and speaking in this area.
PLUTA Rechtsanwalts GmbH also sees two partners selected for inclusion. Michael Pluta is “very well known in the market”, and was commended for his insolvency expertise in particular. Martin Prager in the Munich office is also highly recommended by clients and peers alike.
Sven-Holger Undritz of White & Case LLP is “one of those rare individuals who combine a first class practice both as administrator and as advisor to clients”. He has guided more than 300 companies through insolvency proceedings, and is also known for the quality of his drafting and advice on the acquisition of insolvent companies. Alongside him, Christoph Schulte-Kaubrügger is also much in demand as administrator, and is a “real expert in this field”.
Daniel Weiss of Hengeler Mueller is a “very strong practitioner” in this sector, and he is joined by the “brilliant” Johannes Tieves, who received recommendations from sources across Europe.
At Linklaters LLP in Frankfurt, Kolja von Bismarck is “internationally recognised” as a leader in this field. He is much in demand from both creditors and debtors, and his cross-border work is “second to none”.
Lars Westpfahl of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP in Hamburg is recognised for his restructuring expertise in particular, and is a member of the technical research committee of INSOL International.
Leo Plank of Kirkland & Ellis International LLP in Munich was highly recommended to researchers. “He is sharp, hard working and accessible and has a strong business sense” according to our sources, and was recommended for his work on both the debtor and creditor side, including the representation of institutional high-yield and distressed debt investors.
Siegfried Beck of Dr Beck & Partner Gbr in Nuremberg is “one of the outstanding insolvency specialists in the region”, and is recognised for his bankruptcy and reorganisation work and as chair of the VID.
Michael Jaffé of Jaffé Rechtsanwälte in Munich is “one of the finest administrators in the business”, and “should clearly be mentioned in any analysis of the leading lawyers in this sector”.
At CMS Hasche Sigle, Michael Frege is rated as a “very successful administrator” who is renowned for his work on some of the largest cases in recent years.
Michael Thierhoff of Thierhoff Müller & Partner in Leipzig is a council member and past president of INSOL Europe, and “hugely respected in this field”.
Horst Piepenburg at Piepenburg-Gerling Rechtsanwälte in Düsseldorf is “clearly a leading individual for advisory and administration work”, and is chairman of the insolvency law and financial restructuring working group at the German Lawyers’ Association.
Arndt Geiwitz of Schneider Geiwitz & Partner is also very highly rated by clients and peers alike, and received recommendations from our sources across Europe.
At Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek in Cologne, Hans-Jochem Lüer is a “legendary figure of the German bar” and internationally recognised for his insolvency expertise.
Bruno Kübler in Munich “has been one of the country’s pre-eminent administrators for many years” and is said to “know his way around the law as well as anyone I’ve ever come across”.
Frank Grell chairs the German restructuring and insolvency practice at Latham & Watkins LLP and is “clearly one of the leading figures in the market”. He is particularly well-known for his creditor work, both in and out of court.
Barbara Beutler of Muller-Heydenreich Beutler & Kollegen also received high levels of recommendation from her fellow experts, with her advisory work and her work as liquidator each attracting admiration.
In Düsseldorf, Florian Gantenberg of LADM Liesegang Aymans Decker Mittelstaedt & Partner is very popular with our sources, who brought his “excellent advice and outstanding client service” to the attention of researchers.
The inclusion of Barbara Maske-Reiche gives Gleiss Lutz a presence in this chapter. She was praised for her “in depth understanding for the needs of the client”, and for being “easily accessible and a pleasure to work with”.
Heiko Tschauner heads the German business restructuring and insolvency practice at Hogan Lovells International LLP, and is a “tremendously impressive operator”. He is well known for his advice to banks and corporates in relation to restructurings, and for his assistance to investors in the acquisition of insolvent or distressed companies