Practice area · Corporate & M&A

Corporate & M&A

We advise companies and their shareholders on formation, restructuring and succession, and on buying and selling businesses and shareholdings.

Discuss a matter →See how we work

Negotiation
Two parties at a meeting table, draft agreement
Factual, focused

Overview

Corporate law is rarely a mere formality. Behind every change to the articles and every transaction there are interests that need to be put in order.

We work with owner-managed businesses and mid-sized groups. Typical occasions are new shareholders joining, a succession plan, the reorganisation of a holding structure or the sale of a business unit.

In transactions we carry out the legal due diligence, negotiate the agreements and coordinate the closing. Questions of employment, data protection or real estate law are handled in-house, together with our colleagues from those practice areas.

Documents
Data room index and draft agreement
Close-up, paper

Services

What we advise on

Formation and structure

We help you choose the right legal form, draft the articles and rules of procedure, and support the entry in the commercial register.

Shareholder agreements

Voting rights, pre-emption rights, exit rules: we set down what applies between the parties before a conflict raises the question.

Acquisitions

On the buy side we review the target, assess the risks and negotiate the purchase agreement. We bring in specialists from other disciplines as needed.

Disposals

On the sell side we prepare the process, from the data room and vendor due diligence to the draft agreement, and negotiate through to closing.

Succession

We structure the handover to the next generation or to new management, in coordination with your tax advisers.

Board advisory

We advise managing directors and supervisory bodies on duties, liability and resolutions, on an ongoing basis or for a specific decision.

Process

How a matter runs

Phase 01

Review

2–4 weeks · agreed budget

We review the articles, resolutions, material contracts and register entries. The result is a picture of the starting position and of the points to settle before a decision is made.

Outcomes

Report on the starting position

Prioritised list of open points

Recommendation on next steps

Phase 02

Structuring

4–8 weeks · on the parties’ timetable

Based on the review, we draft the agreements and resolutions and negotiate them with the other side. You can see at any time which points are open and where there is room to move.

Outcomes

Draft agreements with commentary

Notes of each negotiation round

Agreed draft resolutions

Phase 03

Closing

Signing · register · post-closing

We prepare signing and closing, coordinate the notary appointment and the register filing, and record which obligations continue after completion. On request we also support the integration.

Outcomes

Closing checklist

Filings for the commercial register

Overview of post-closing obligations

Scope

What we take on and what we don’t

✓ We take on

Structural questions and transactions from the first idea through to closing

✗ We don’t take on

Tax advice as such; here we work alongside your tax advisers

✓ We take on

Coordination with tax, employment and data protection specialists

✗ We don’t take on

Business valuation and financing as a service of our own

✓ We take on

Ongoing advice to management and shareholders

✗ We don’t take on

Notarisation; this is done by a notary whom we involve

Illustrative matters

From practice

Industry · Illustrative

Weeks to closing

Sale of an owner-managed supplier to a strategic buyer, including a vendor due diligence beforehand.

Retail · Illustrative

Family branches in one holding

Reorganisation of a shareholding structure built up over decades under one holding, with a new shareholder agreement.

Software · Illustrative

Funding rounds supported

Ongoing advice to a software company on funding rounds, employee participation and shareholder resolutions.

Contacts

Your team in this practice area

Insights

Articles from this practice area

Article
Desk with documents
Factual, bright

Corporate & M&A

Test article 6 for the layout check

Wording and tone are set later. Test copy for previewing the page layout. This paragraph checks lengths, line breaks and spacing. The final content follows in a later phase.

Data room
Folder structure on a screen, papers alongside
Close-up, factual

Corporate & M&A

Selling a business: the data room as the foundation

Anyone planning to sell a business should know their own documents before the buyer reviews them. An orderly data room saves time and strengthens the seller’s position.

Article
Desk with documents
Factual, bright

Corporate & M&A

Test article 1 for the layout check

This paragraph checks lengths, line breaks and spacing. The final content follows in a later phase. Placeholder text of realistic length for the layout.

Careers

Vacancies in this practice area

Associate

Associate (f/m/d) Corporate & M&A

Berlin

Full-time

1–3 years

You will advise on reorganisations and transactions as part of the Berlin team, work closely with the partner and take on responsibility early.

Next step

Tell us about
your plans.

In a first conversation we clarify what is at stake, who at the firm is responsible and how the matter can be scoped sensibly.

Discuss a matter

A first meeting with the partner responsible for the area

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Meet the team

Contacts by practice area and office

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For whom

For companies, shareholders and management teams who need a question answered or a decision secured.

Typical trigger

A transaction is coming up, a contract is being renegotiated or a dispute is taking shape. The earlier we are involved, the more room there is to act.