PROFILE

Schadbach Rechtsanwälte is an international business law firm based in Frankfurt. Our responsive and high-powered team of lawyers serves its clients in all fields of business law. We are committed to the highest of standards in terms of quality combined with a solution-oriented approach and attractive conditions.

Areas of practice

Our core competency fields include Mergers & Acquisitions, corporate law, venture capital and private equity, corporate finance, restructuring, managerial liability, banking and capital markets law, as well as (international) commercial and distribution law. In addition, we advise and assist our predominantly clients in labor law, intellectual property law and information technology law.

Lawyers

Our lawyers are outstanding in their high degree of expertise and wealth of professional experience. Our clients benefit from the specialisation of our lawyers required for the highest quality of advice and efficiency. Our lawyers do not only provide advice on legal issues but implement practical solutions due to a keen understanding of business.

AWARDS




  • Ranked 5th in Top 100 list of M&A lawyers in Germany, German Institute for Legal Departments and Corporate Lawyers (diruj) –Law Firm monitor 2021/2022, 2023/2024
  • “Best Business Law Firms” 2020, 2021 and 2022 for Corporate Law and M&A – brand eins
  • Ranked in Top 100 list of business lawyers in Germany, German Institute for Legal Departments and Corporate Lawyers (diruj) –Law Firm monitor 2021/2022, 2023/2024
  • Private Equity Law Firm of the Year in Germany - 2022, GlobalLawExperts“
  • Germany´s Best Lawyers” 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024 for Venture Capital –Best Lawyers Ranking
  • Legal Excellence Award 2024 - M&A Today
  • Leading Law Firm in stock corporation and group law – Law Firm monitor 2023/2024
  • Leading Law Firm in corporate law – Law Firm monitor 2023/2024
  • Law Practice Firm of the Year - Germany 2024 - Lawyer International’s Legal 100
  • “Private Equity Law Firm of the Year in Germany 2024” – Global Law Experts
  • „League Table“ no. 26 for Small-Cap M&A in Germany 2023 – LSEG M&A Legal Advisory Review (ex Thomson Reuters)
  • Top-tier 3 law firm 2020 adn 2021 for business law in the metropolitan region Frankfurt, Legal500
  • “Germany´s Best Lawyers” 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 for Venture Capital – Handelsblatt
  • “TOP Business Law Firms” 2017, 2018 and 2019 for M&A, Corporate Law and Private Equity – FOCUS magazine
  • “Private Equity Law Firm of the Year in Germany” 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2024 – Corporate INTL Magazine Global Award
  • Ranked no. 20 among the top 50 M&A law firms in Germany (deal volume up to US$ 50m) – Thomson Reuters League Table for Legal Advisors 2017
  • “Leading Law Firms” 2015 and 2016 and listed among the top 16 German firms for Private Equity and Venture Capital – Legal500
  • JUVE Handbook of German Commercial Law Firms from 2005 through 2016

    • “Corporate Finance Law Firm of the Year in Germany” 2021 – Global Law Experts
    • “Best International Business Law Firm Germany” 2018 – EU Business News
    • Ranked no. 20 among the top 50 M&A law firms in Germany (deal volume up to US$ 50m) – Thomson Reuters League Table for Legal Advisors 2017
    • “Corporate Finance Law Firm of the Year in Germany” 2016 – Global Law Experts
    • “Recommended law firm for Corporate Law and Mergers & Acquisition” 2015/2016 – Kanzleimonitor
    • “Business Law Firm of the Year in Germany” 2015 and 2016 – Corporate INTL Global Award
    • “Recommended law firm” for Stock Corporation and Group Company Law as well as Corporate Law 2014/2015 – Kanzleimonitor
    • “Kanzleien in Deutschland” 2012 – Nomos Verlagsgruppe
    • “Venture Capital Yearbook” 2009 – Majunke Consulting
    • “Der Deutsche Wirtschaftsanwalt” 2008 – Lexxion Verlagsgesellschaft
    • “Private Equity Handbook” 2008 – Handelsblatt
  • LAW FIRM

    RESPONSIVE AND POWERFUL


    Schadbach Rechtsanwälte is an international law firm based in Frankfurt am Main, specialising in business law with a network spanning the globe. We offer our clients a first class alternative to big law firms by combining top quality advisory services, specialised expertise and a keen understanding of business matters with optimum cost effectiveness, fast and personalised service, and an unmatched degree of independence. Our emphasis is on tailoring advice specifically to the distinct business context of each individual client. In key areas of business law, independent analysts and clients alike count our law firm among the leading in the market. Over the years, our law firm has been regularly recommended by the most distinguished German and international legal directories.


    SERVICES AND SOLUTIONS


    Schadbach Rechtsanwälte stands for service-oriented, business-savvy and practical legal advice. We are committed to the highest of standards in terms of quality, availability and efficiency. We work very closely with our clients, orienting our approach exclusively on safeguarding and asserting their best interests. For several companies, we serve as an outsourced legal department, providing regular, ongoing legal advice and representation. We stand by these clients to help shape processes, delivering legal advice for projects such as shareholder meetings or corporate financing initiatives, as well as offering continuous legal support and protection in day-to-day business.We understand business, and know through long years of experience that what counts most when resolving legal matters is efficiency and ensuring sustainable business solutions. From the very start of our relationship with a client, we therefore identify problematic areas and find creative contractual solutions to lower both risk and costs. In legal disputes, our focus is on achieving out-of-court settlements – but not at any price. When called for, Schadbach Rechtsanwälte provides top-notch representation for all types of litigation. Our international orientation, solid linguistic expertise and close cooperation with leading law firms around the globe make us the ideal choice for cross-border mandates. Working and drafting contracts in English are integral to our everyday practice.


    INTERDISCIPLINARY COMPETENCE, LOCAL PRESENCE AND INTERNATIONAL REACH


    For issues beyond our core areas of expertise or geographical profile, our established network guarantees comprehensive and seamless support for our clients. The network is made up of lawyers specialised in other fields of law, as well as tax advisors and certified auditors within Germany and in other European and non-European countries – all of whom share our high standards of quality and our advisory approach. At the same time, we maintain responsibility for resolving the issue and continue to be your central point of contact. Our firm is also a member of Eurolegal, a network of independent law firms with offices across the globe, which enables us to provide individualised and targeted advice to international clients in any jurisdiction. Selection from this pool of more than 500 law firms across 36 locations in 22 countries is completely independent and based exclusively on individual client needs, as well as quality and economic considerations. We are also more than happy to put our clients in touch with our excellent contacts in various industries – especially venture capital and private equity investors.

    AREAS OF PRACTICE

    We provide highly qualified services in key areas of business law – but we are not a one stop shop for all your legal needs. Nor do we aim to be one of the biggest firms in the market. Our commitment is simple: to be among the best in each of the areas in which we specialise. Our core areas of practice include: Mergers & Acquisitions, Corporate Finance, Private Equity and Venture Capital, Corporate Law, Restructuring, D&O Liability, Banking and Capital Markets and (International) Commercial and Distribution Law. Please, take a moment to get acquainted with our full range of legal services.


    Providing legal advice on all legal aspects of partnerships and corporations constitutes one of the main pillars of our work. Our national and international clients have great confidence in our outstanding legal expertise and our creativity finding practical structures and expedient solutions to their most urgent needs and objectives from company formation to company liquidation. Key services in this area include:

    • Selection of legal form and formation of companies
    • Drafting articles of association and other agreements under corporate law
    • All types of corporate actions, including capital increases from authorised and contingent capital, capital decreases and combinations
    • Transition consulting for company succession
    • Planning and execution of shareholder meetings and annual general meetings
    • Comprehensive ongoing or project-based management counseling – esp. relating to D&O liability
    • Advice for company restructuring, incl. debt-to-equity swaps
    • Drafting of consortium and partnership agreements, as well as joint venture contracts
    • Expert opinions on complex issues of corporate law
    • Company group law
    • Shareholder and board dispute resolution
    • Structuring of GmbH, AG, OHG, KG, GmbH & Co. KG, GmbH & Still, PartG, UG and GbR agreements, as well as (atypical) silent partnerships, partial acquisitions and trusts
    We are known as a leader among German law firms in the market for small and mid-cap M&A transactions. The extensive experience of our practice groups, and the large number of successful transactions handled by our teams, make Schadbach Rechtsanwälte the ideal firm to support you with company acquisitions, divestitures or mergers, especially in the small and mid-sized company segment. At the same time, we offer access to an interdisciplinary and international network of lawyers and other professionals with the size and skill necessary to tackle large and complex transactions professionally and efficiently. Our services extend to all facets of the M&A process, from transactions involving strategic or financial investors, to leveraged buy-outs or restructuring-related transactions.

    • Due Diligence
    • Share deals and asset deals
    • (Leveraged) Management Buy-out
    • Management Buy-in
    • Auctions and dual track transactions
    • Carve-outs and spin-offs
    • Succession planning and family strategies
    • Transferring restructuring
    • Company divestitures
    • Company transformations
    • Contract negotiations and post-merger support
    • Cartel/Anti-trust consulting for M&A transactions
    • M&A-Litigation
    • Project management and legal team management for international transactions
    Both early stage financing for venture capital investors and buy-out transactions in the area of private equity are among our core competencies. Although most of our work in this field is on the investor side, we maintain a 360° view by supporting start-ups and other entrepreneurial initiatives. We also provide advice and legal support for all subsequent rounds of financing, as well as exits (e.g. trade sales and secondaries) or portfolio workouts. Our hands-on approach as well as our lean and effective teams ensure swift and cost-effective results.

    • Equity participation and shareholder agreements
    • Investor syndication agreements
    • Contract drafting and negotiation
    • Early stage, bridge and turnaround financing
    • Management buy-outs (MBO) / Management buy-ins (MBI)
    We have extensive experience in advising companies in all aspects of corporate financing. From equity financing, to hybrid financial instruments to borrowed funds – we assist with structuring and draft the necessary transaction documentation. Our services include:

    • Advice on issuance of shares and subscription rights
    • Advice for financing of subordinate capital contractually through participation rights, subordinated debt, participation loans, typical and atypical silent partnerships or shareholder loans
    • Equity and mezzanine financing
    • Support for bond issuance
    • Acquisition financing and leveraged buy-out transactions
    • Restructuring and refinancing of existing loans
    • Project financing
    • Structured company financing
    • Loans and collateral agreements, syndications
    • Company group financing (e.g. cash pooling)
    • Debt to equity swaps
    Banking and capital markets law is another of our core competencies. We offer outstanding know-how when it comes to the financial industry, as well as long years of experience with representation and advisory support for banks, financial services institutions and capital market-oriented companies. We focus our advice and services consistently on reducing the regulatory burden for our clients. Our offering covers the entire spectrum of banking and capital markets law, in particular:

    • Establishment of banks and financial services institutions, as well as representative and branches
    • Advice on regulatory approval, reporting and disclosure obligations – in particular avoidance strategies
    • Outsourcing agreements for banking and financial services
    • Avoidance of licensing obligations under the German Banking Act (KWG)
    • Money laundering prevention
    • Banking contracts and (electronic) payments contracts, especially for online payment processing, credit card payments, direct debits and debit cards
    • Advice on issuance of shares and subscription rights
    • Advice on financing of subordinate capital contractually through participation rights, subordinated debt, participation loans, typical and atypical silent partnerships or shareholder loans
    • Bond issuance
    • Acquisition financing
    • Project financing
    • Structured company financing
    • Drafting of loan and collateral agreements
    • Advice for public offerings and private placements of financial instruments
    • Advice on share purchase offers and takeover bids
    • Legal due diligence and, if required and not avoidable, prospectus drafting
    • Consultation on requirements under the German Securities Trading Act (WpHG) relating to insider trading law, ad-hoc publication rules, rules of conduct, transparency and organisation obligations
    • German Investment Code (KAGB) relating to licensing requirements, rules of conduct and organisation obligations, marketing and distribution rules
    • Legal representation for banking contract disputes
    • Legal representation for loan and collateral disputes
    • Legal representation for disputes relating to asset management and custody, as well as investment liability issues
    We support companies in situations of crisis and refinancing, and offer proactive support for necessary restructuring and reorganisation measures, as well as providing comprehensive non-administrative insolvency advice. In addition, we work with creditors to safeguard their interests and help secure their lien rights before or during the insolvency proceedings. Among our other competencies are:

    • Mergers, demergers, conversions
    • Debt-to-equity swaps
    • Refinancing negotiations and settlement negotiations with creditors
    • Insolvency avoidance strategies
    • Transferring restructuring
    • Minimisation of D&O liability risk for management and supervisory board members
    • Insolvency rescission
    You are looking for the optimum channel to market your products and services? We provide support for expansion and internationalisation of your trade and distribution organisation, and advise you on the selection and structuring of the ideal model. Your ideas will be efficiently integrated into legally sound contractual frameworks, with the most favourable possible conditions for you. Key services in this area include:

    • Drafting, examination und negotiation of (international) trade agreements, especially goods and/or services exchange agreements and cooperation agreements
    • Advice on distribution systems, especially distributor systems, commercial representations and mass distribution chains
    • Drafting and examination of General Terms and Conditions for procurement, sale, services and other (sector-specific) areas, also according to the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG)
    • Legal support for web presences
    • Franchise and license agreements
    • Legal advice on payment guarantees for cross-border delivery of goods (especially letters of credit)
    • Legal consultation relating to specific legal requirements on certain goods and/or services
    • Strategic optimisation of the legal framework for market entry and development
    • Strategic consulting for impending litigation and legal representation for all in and out-of-court commercial disputes, e.g. before state courts or arbitration tribunals
    • Assessment, initiation and execution of mandatory approval and licensing procedures under commercial law and/or product-specific guidelines, especially distribution cartel law
    Managing and operating business without computer technology would be unthinkable in today's world. And, computers are now inextricably tied to the internet. To be on the safe side with electronic data processing and using the computer online and offline, we provide advice and support in the following areas:

    • Drafting and examination of all IT-related contacts (e.g. relating to purchase, use, maintenance or technical support for hardware and software, data bases, apps and online presences)
    • Legal advice on issues of electronic communication and cloud computing
    • Legal advice for naming, branding and fair competition rules relating to the registration and use of domain names
    • Legal advice for the creation and ongoing presence of websites and social media profiles
    • Support during the conception and structuring of ordering and shipping processes for products or services offered online
    • Drafting of General Terms and Conditions for Internet-based B2B and B2C transactions
    Our services in the area of labour and employment law include both long-term support for clients and project-specific consultation in the context of corporate transactions or restructuring. We offer comprehensive support, from the due diligence stage to employment law aspects of asset deals. In addition to our expertise in the overall corporate context, we also offer consultation on issues specific to management and board members.

    • Contracts for managing directors and board members
    • Labour and employment due diligence
    • Employment law aspects of corporate transactions
    • Termination agreements
    • Employee participation schemes (e.g. stock option plan)
    In business, contracts form the basis of success for corporate strategy and business development. They are a valuable asset to your company, as your contractual situation reflects your commitment, your success and your position in the market. It is therefore essential that your contractual framework provides your company legal security and clarity. We generate additional value by strengthening your economic position, anticipating and eliminating in advance any potential sources of dispute. We provide advisory support and representation relating to all aspects of contract drafting, including:

    • Consultation, negotiation and drafting of contracts
    • Examination of existing contracts
    • Exercise of contractually agreed rights
    • Legal analysis and assessment of contracts and individual contract provisions
    • Selection of the “right” contract type
    • Legal advice relating to different contract characteristics
    • Guidance on legally mandated content in various contract types
    • Termination and/or transferral of existing contracts or individual contract provisions
    • Optimisation of the existing contractual framework

    OUR LAWYERS

    Kai Schadbach, LL.M.
    Kai Schadbach, LL.M.
    Publications
    Curriculum Vitae

    Studied Law and Management at the Universities of Kiel, Paderborn, Surrey (UK), Den Haag (NL) and Cleveland (USA). Master of Laws (LL.M. with honors) from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland (USA), followed by a position as Teaching Assistant. Former Adjunct Professor of Contract Law at Gießen-Friedberg University of Applied Sciences. Guest Lecturer at Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, at EBS University of Business and Law and at Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences in mergers & acquisitions and corporate finance, as well as instructing legal specialisation courses in Corporate Law for Arber Seminare, and the continuing legal education section of the Bar Association of the State of Hesse in the areas of corporate law, venture capital/private equity and mergers & acquisitions and lecturer for German Attorney Institute (Deutsches Anwaltsinstitut) for the specialised training course in mergers & acquisitions.

    Attorney-at-law since 1997 at
    • Vorys, Sater, Seymour & Pease, LLP (USA)
    • Flick Gocke Schaumburg, Rechtsanwälte, Bonn
    • Andersen Luther Rechtsanwalts-GmbH, Düsseldorf
    • ACG AG , Wiesbaden (General Counsel/CLO)
    Awards (selection):
    • 2024: Ranked 8th in Top 100 list (out of 589 recommendations) of M&A lawyers in Germany, German Institute for Legal Departments and Corporate Lawyers (diruj) –Law Firm monitor 2023-2024
    • 2024: Top 100 list (out of 589 recommendations) of business lawyers in Germany, German Institute for Legal Departments and Corporate Lawyers (diruj) –Law Firm monitor 2023-2024
    • 2022: Ranked 5th in Top 100 list (out of 7,626 recommendations) of M&A lawyers in Germany, German Institute for Legal Departments and Corporate Lawyers (diruj) –Law Firm monitor 2021-2022
    • 2022: Ranked 9th in Top 100 list (out of 7,626 recommendations) of business lawyers in Germany, German Institute for Legal Departments and Corporate Lawyers (diruj) –Law Firm monitor 2021-2022
    • 2022: Inclusion in “Who is who in German Law” from Prof. Dr. Gerhard Köbler
    • 2021: „Business Law Expert of the Year in Germany” – LeadersinLaw Global Awards
    • 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023: “Germany´s best lawyers” for Venture Capital – Best Lawyers Ranking
    • 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023: “Germany´s best lawyers” for Venture Capital – Handelsblatt (peer-to-peer rating)
    • 2018: “Corporate Lawyer of the Year” Germany – EU Business News
    • 2014: Legal500 – listed among the Top-16 German lawyers in the areas of Private Equity and Venture Capital
    • 2008 to 2015: JUVE Handbook of Commercial Law Firms – recommended in the areas of Private Equity and Venture Capital
    • 2011: WirtschaftsWoche Guide to M&A and Corporate Finance – ranked among the 50 “Leading minds in M&A and Corporate Finance”
    • 2010: WirtschaftsWoche – listed among the 50 best lawyers for stock corporation law in Germany
    • 2009: Handelsblatt – listed among the 50 best Private Equity lawyers in Germany
    Numerous publications on topics of (international) commercial and corporate law. Kai is a member of various leading organisations, incl. the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), the German-American Lawyers‘ Association (DAJV), Scholarly Association For Corporate Law (VGR), the International Bar Association and Die Familienunternehmer. He is also member of several supervisory boards of various German stock corporations.

    PETER HOLST, LL.M.
    PETER HOLST, LL.M.
    Publications
    Curriculum Vitae

    Legal studies at the Universities of Potsdam and Berlin (Freie Universität, Humboldt Universität). Master of Laws in International Commercial Law (LL.M., with a Distinction as best of the year) at the University of Kent, England. Followed by a research fellowship and position as Teaching Assistant in English and European contract and tort law at the University of Sheffield, England.

    Legal clerkship at the Regional Court of Lübeck with a 6-month elective traineeship at a business law firm in London.

    Attorney-at-law since 2006 at
    • CMS Hasche Sigle, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Shanghai
    • Ashurst LLP, Frankfurt
    • Norton Rose Fulbright LLP, Frankfurt (Partner)
    • Baker Tilly, Frankfurt (Partner)
    In 2010/2011, Mr. Holst worked for 6 months in the Shanghai office of the international law firm CMS. In 2012/2013, Mr. Holst completed a 6-month secondment in the M&A / Equity Capital Markets department of the investment bank Morgan Stanley, Frankfurt.

    Languages: German, English
    Konstantin Warnowizki
    Konstantin Warnowizki
    SENIOR ASSOCIATE

    Studied law at the University of Mannheim (with strong business administration focus). Traineeship at the District Court Frankenthal with elective station in Haifa. Full-year overseas stays in Michigan, USA and Beijing, China (language studies at Beijing Language and Culture University). Former lecturer at the Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University in Mannheim.

    Attorney since 2017 at:
    • Rittershaus, Mannheim
    • Taylor Wessing, Frankfurt
    • Baker Tilly, Frankfurt
    Languages: German, English, Russian, Chinese
    SÖREN BROST
    SÖREN BROST
    ASSOCIATE

    Studied law at the Georg-August University Göttingen. Research assistant at the Chair for Corporate and Capital Markets Law of Prof. Dr. Gerald Spindler and at White & Case LLP, Frankfurt, in the Corporate/M&A department. Legal clerkship at the District Court of Gießen.

    Attorney-at-law since 2017 at:
    • Jahn Hettler Rechtsanwälte PartG mbB, Frankfurt
    Languages: German, English
    Dr. Petra Weipert
    Dr. Petra Weipert
    OF-COUNSEL

    Studied law at the Justus Liebig University in Giessen and the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main. Legal clerkship with an internship with a law firm in London. Doctorate on the distinction between business acumen and fraud with a scholarship from the Hessische Graduiertenförderung. Lawyer of confidence of the CDH e.V. (Central Federation of German Trade Associations for Commercial Brokerage and Distribution). Member of the German Association for Distribution Law (DGV e.V.) since its foundation in 2010. Legal advisor of the Professional Association of Media Representatives BDV e.V.

    Attorney-at-Law since 1998 at:
    • German Investment Trust, Frankfurt
    • Sturmfels, Delp, Lewer, Ploghaus, Frankfurt
    • Ramser Rechtsanwälte, Frankfurt
    ANNETTE KUHLEN-LEIS
    ANNETTE KUHLEN-LEIS
    OF-COUNSEL

    Studied law at the Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg and the University of Münster. Legal clerkship at the District Court of Bochum. Areas of specialization: M&A (national and international; German/English), project support from due diligence to post-acquisition advice; corporate restructurings, employment law advice on restructurings and M&A. Sector focus: real estate.

    Attorney-at-law since 1994 at:
    • Ahlers & Vogel Rechtsanwälte, Rostock
    • KPMG Law, Frankfurt a.M. (Manager)
    • ADVANT Beiten, Frankfurt a.M. (Partner)
    Florian Pink, LL.M. (ABERDEEN)
    Florian Pink, LL.M. (ABERDEEN)
    OF-COUNSEL

    Studied at the Ludwig Maximilians University as well as at the University of Hamburg. Complementary studies in business law at the University Hamburg. Master of Laws (LL.M.) at the University of Aberdeen (UK). Legal Traineeship at the State of Schleswig-Holstein with placement at the Indo German Chamber of Commerce in New Delhi (India).

    Attorney-at-law since 2012 at:
    • Clifford Chance, Frankfurt
    • Simon und Pink Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft (Founder and Managing Director), Frankfurt
    Further current professional activity: Executive consultant for entrepreneurial growth- and development strategies as Managing Director of The Pink Consulting Company GmbH

    Languages: German, English

    FEES

    EFFICIENCY AND TRANSPARENCY
    We render our legal services on the basis of a fee agreement. It is time-based and oriented on the necessary or desired amount of attention to the issue, as well as the economic value generated for the client. Our hourly fee scale offers clients a high degree of transparency over fees and costs. In this way, clients profit from the cost-efficient working practices of our highly experienced lawyers. In contrast, we consider the conventional pricing based on the German Lawyers’ Compensation Act (RVG) to be neither transparent nor value-oriented from a client’s point of view. Statutorily assured fees mean a lawyer is not encouraged to provide performance-based and dedicated service. Only in the context of court disputes are we prevented from charging less than the fees prescribed in the RVG.

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