JUVE Handbuch Wirtschaftsrecht 2022/2023

In 2022, the firm again received a top-tier rating for succession/assets/foundations and private equity/mid-cap transactions and venture capital with 21 listed professionals, most of them in multiple practice areas, of which 8 partners were recognized as “leading” advisors.

In the area of succession/assets/foundations alone, the firm is represented by three “leading” experts: Reinhard Pöllath and Stephan Viskorf have been named “leading” for their outstanding advice to family entrepreneurs and high net worth individuals, as well as Berlin partner Andreas Richter for his excellent expertise on foundation issues.

From the next generation, Anna-Katharina Gollan is also praised, even by competitors, as “fast and precise” in all foundation matters, and Christoph Philipp is considered an “accomplished negotiator” and “always solution-oriented” for his advice on family law in the market. Many important German family businesses place their trust in the firm for highly complex corporate and tax succession planning, which means that if the firm continues to promote the successor generation, of which there is no doubt, the client base will continue to increase. The expansion of the practice in Frankfurt by Martin Liebernickel also speaks for the sustainability of the team.

The accompanying specialization in advising on increasingly contentious disputes involving heirs or partners ensures the firm “stays ahead of the game”, as it does in the demand for “ongoing tax compliance in relation to fund holdings by the increasingly investment-minded family offices”.

In the area of fund structuring and investment, “there is no way around the firm with its comprehensive advisory approach” and its “multi-faceted specialization”. It is impressive both in its “ability to manage a high volume of clients” and to be “on hand for specialist issues”, such as structuring complex continuation funds or advising on ESG/impact funds. The firm also includes increased market screening to create more fund of funds and co-investment programs. Highly recommended advisors include Amos Veith, Uwe Baerenz and Peter Bujotzek, whose clients appreciate his “fast, timely and highly competent advice”. He receives praise for being “focused, pragmatic and very client-oriented”. The firm “has a degree of specialization that hardly any competitor can match” and has “the largest and most respected team in the market”. The firm’s growth trajectory is also reflected in the promotion of Stephan Schade, who rounds off the firm’s profile as “one of the market leaders” in VC and PE with his extensive expertise in KVG compliance.

The excellent reputation the firm enjoys in the area of fund structuring and management consulting is also reflected in the transactional practice, where the firm is represented by four “leading” partners: Andrea von Drygalski, Philipp von Braunschweig, Frank Thiäner (private equity) and Christian Tönies (venture capital). In addition, “frequently recommended” advisors Otto Haberstock (a “clever mind and very experienced”), Michael Inhester, Jens Hörmann, Frank Thiäner (“focused on the essentials”) and Benedikt Hohaus. Particularly in management consulting, the firm has “know-how” like “hardly any other firm”.

This know-how is also particularly present in the M&A area. The following are mentioned by name (most for many years): Matthias Bruse, Andrea von Drygalski, Jens Hörmann, Michael Inhester (“a lot of experience and a pragmatic approach”), Frank Thiäner (“pragmatic and very deal-oriented”), Christian Tönies, Philipp von Braunschweig and Eva Nase, the latter particularly for public takeovers.

Eva Nase, together with Matthias Bruse (“very good expertise, pleasant cooperation”) and Michael Inhester (“experienced with a pragmatic approach”) are also recommended for their extraordinary expertise in corporate law. Their expertise provides the firm with a “respected” corporate and capital markets practice, as evidenced by investors mandating the firm for advice on planned IPOs, as well as corporate law mandates with a litigation focus.

The real estate sector also has a good reputation for its corporate law expertise, closely combined with tax law expertise. POELLATH is also represented here by Stefan Lebek as a “leading” partner, as well as Matthias Durst as a “frequently recommended” expert.

Investors and many family offices rely on the team’s “integrated expertise”. It is “well-positioned” for the diverse advisory requirements in the real estate market and is “highly regarded” by clients for its “interdisciplinary expertise”.