Private Equity
The Private Equity Practice at Gleiss Lutz is among the leaders in the German market. According to Mergermarket, we have for years consistently ranked among the top five legal advisers for Germany-related private equity transactions. The success and reputation of the Practice is due to the first-class legal advice that it delivers, its excellent service, and the entrepreneurial approach of its lawyers to “getting the deal done”.
We support financial investors through the entire lifecycle of an investment. Our range of advisory services covers support in the identification of deal opportunities, the acquisition including the development of a tax-efficient acquisition structure, leveraged finance and high-yield debt capabilities to support European and US style financing, and management participation programs.
We advise on all aspects of the deal and provide support to the portfolio company to increase the company’s value, standing ready to advise on add-on acquisitions and disposals as well as on post-acquisition or distress-induced restructuring measures. We also support equity syndications, refinancings, and recapitalisations.
Finally, at the end of the investment cycle, we help clients evaluate exit options, such as private sales, IPOs, or dual-track processes. Our full-service approach ensures that our private equity lawyers can at any point bring on board acknowledged experts in relevant legal fields as well as leading partners with in-depth sector expertise.
“Powerful team with a lot of creativity, experience and commitment. (client)”
Acquisitions
Gleiss Lutz advises clients on all legal and tax-related aspects of the full array of acquisition strategies, including leveraged buy-outs, management buy-outs, management buy-ins and similar structures, public takeovers and take-private transactions, as well as acquisitions of minority interests.
A special focus of our advisory services is large-cap transactions. We also advise on complex mid- and small-cap transactions.
Acquisition financing
A key focus of our practice is on acquisition financing. This includes senior and mezzanine syndicated bank loans, high-yield bonds and other obligations and forms of debt financing, as well as hybrid and equity capital financing.
Because our Finance Practice acts not only for the sponsor side in a transaction but also in many cases for the banking side, our finance lawyers can combine the know-how, expertise, and market knowledge of both borrower and lender.
Management incentive schemes
We advise primarily financial investors but also management teams on all legal and tax-related aspects of management and employee participation programs.
Our relevant expertise extends from stock option plans for senior executives, to models covering several management levels through to complex, global management and employee incentive programs.
Equity syndications
When it comes to equity syndications, our experience in this area ranges from “plain vanilla” post-closing equity syndications to other financial or strategic investors, to friends and family programs, as well as special forms of equity syndication, such as club deals and equity bridges.
Restructurings
For tax-optimised or distressed post-acquisition restructuring measures we draw on the expertise and experience of our Restructuring Practice. Gleiss Lutz has been one of the most respected addresses internationally in this field for many years.
Our services spectrum covers advice on all the stages of the crisis’s emergence and progress, advice on out-of-court restructurings, and support in the event of insolvency.
Refinancings and recapitalisations
Integrated teams made up of both private equity and financial lawyers advise on all types of refinancings and recapitalisations. Our advice covers the coordinated development and implementation of all measures relating to tax and corporate law as well as financing strategies.
Exits
Every private equity investment leads at some point to an exit, be this via an IPO or via a sale either to another financial investor (such as in a secondary or tertiary buyout) or to a strategic investor. Our private equity lawyers work closely with the experts in our Capital Markets Practice Group when advising on IPOs.
The advisory spectrum for a direct sale to another financial or strategic investor ranges from the preparation of the sale including vendor due diligence, through advice on tax structures, stapled finance, and the consideration of any roll-over model, to the execution of the sales process as well as design and structuring of the distribution of proceeds. We also advise on dual-track processes, covering all questions specific to these.
Worldwide legal advisory
Virtually all of the private equity transactions on which Gleiss Lutz acts as an adviser are cross-border in nature. Through our international network of top-class, trusted law firms we can cover all relevant jurisdictions worldwide.
We consult with our clients to ensure that we put together the best international team with respect to budget and the legal task at hand. And as an independent law firm, we are free to choose local advisers based on clients’ specific requirements – ensuring consistently high-quality advice and seamless service across borders. Our tried-and-tested global advisory approach can be summed up as: one face to the client, one engagement letter, one bill.
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