Chambers Europe 2016

Chambers Europe is one of the most renowned and experienced ranking guides. In Europe alone, the publication carefully selects and ranks the leading law firms in 53 jurisdictions.
P+P is one of the leading firms in the private equity and venture capital sectors and is also listed in all of its core practice areas. The leading experts are Matthias Bruse for private equity, Christian Tönies for venture capital and Andreas Rodin for his tax expertise. Altogether, 17 P+P partners are listed, some in more than one practice area.
A total of 8 P+P partners are listed for their first-rate expertise in the PE/VC sector: Matthias Bruse, Christian Tönies, as well as Otto Haberstock, Benedikt Hohaus, Michael Inhester, Amos Veith, Philipp von Braunschweig and Andrea von Drygalski.
Matthias Bruse is "outstanding" and highly regarded in the market for his transactional advice. Christian Tönies is one of the "most prominent" advisors for VC in the market and is particularly praised for his ability to "know when we can push and when we should hold back" in a particular matter. In addition, "he gets credibility from the other side, which really helps in negotiations." Clients praise Benedikt Hohaus as "one of the top lawyers in the country for management participation programmes. He knows what we want, and what we can accept." Michael Inhester is also "very established in the market, he is strong and advises on larger transactions". His colleague Otto Haberstock is particularly valued for his management and transactional advice, as is Philipp von Braunschweig, who is also well versed in both of these practice areas. Andrea von Drygalski is established in the market for her advice to private equity firms on acquisitions and sales. In addition, Berlin partner Amos Veith is now included in the rankings due to his clients' great appreciation for his fund structuring advice.

The "excellent" practice advises on the entire life cycle of a private equity fund and is highly praised for fund structuring and advice on management programmes. The "highly distinguished" venture capital team advises entrepreneurs, companies and investors on acquisitions/sales and investments. Clients value the "well-established team with broad expertise and seamless interaction". The advisors "identify what really matters, are diligent in the details and have a positive impact on our ability to do deals".
The listed experts Matthias Bruse, Wolfgang Grobecker and Reinhard Pöllath distinguish the corporate M&A practice. "The lawyers are quick and to the point... [they] reach a result efficiently ...availability is really impressive."
P+P's investment team is particularly lauded for its expertise in optimisation and in relation to all regulatory and tax aspects of fund structuring. Clients are highly satisfied with P+P's advice: "I only have excellent things to say about the firm." The various teams work well together and "the lawyers are knowledgeable, very well-known and assist with all the technical points." In particular, Berlin partner Amos Veith is recognized for his advice to institutional and private investors on private equity funds. He also works in the secondary and mezzanine sector, in particular on fund of funds. The Frankfurt partner Patricia Volhard "impressed by [her] quick reaction to queries and profound knowledge in regulatory investment law." Her colleague Andreas Rodin is widely known in the field for his well-established knowledge of fund structuring issues in the private equity sector. In addition, he is also a leading tax expert.
P+P is viewed as a "leading German firm with a broad tax practice, specialising in the area of private equity fund structuring. The team is involved in matters regarding corporate tax planning and the restructuring of international taxation". In addition, P+P is "active in the tax auditing area, appearing on a number of high-value matters". Sources add that "the team is the best for fund structuring and real estate transactions" and that P+P lawyers "are first-class".
In particular, the "outstanding" Andreas Rodin is "held in extremely high regard for his work in the private equity funds area". Sources describe him as "a great name" and "the godfather of fund formation." Munich partner Michael Best is considered to be "a very strong tax consultant who regularly advises investors on private equity funds, as well as on acquisitions in the real estate area. He is active in both domestic and cross-border matters". Thomas Töben is regarded as a "respected and experienced tax consultant with a broad focus," whose "areas of expertise include advice on domestic and international corporate acquisitions and reorganisations".

Pia Dorfmueller is "a new addition to the rankings, having received consistently strong feedback for her advisory work as an IFA on transactions and fund structuring". Sources note that she is a "strong transactional tax expert who is good in negotiations" and that she is "active in creating cross-border structures."
P+P's real estate practice is renowned in the market for its expertise with regard to commercial and residential real estate, with a particular focus on the healthcare sector. The range of services includes advice on acquisition and sales, project development, as well as the related financing aspects. Furthermore, the private equity and fund structuring practices profit from real estate advice on larger investments and transactions. Clients and colleagues are impressed by the performance and deal-oriented approach, as well as the quality of the contractual documentation. They admire Matthias Durst for the fact that he "...thinks very quickly, is always on top of things, is well-prepared and very diligent". His Berlin colleague Stefan Lebek is highly praised for his "understanding of economic concerns during negotiations and ability to deal with complex legal matters".