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2027 Edition
Magic Circle firm Clifford Chance is among the largest law firms in the world, with global operations in 23 countries. It has offices in Frankfurt, Düsseldorf and Munich. The firm has a formidable practice across all sectors. Its standout capital markets practice includes Simon Reitz and Axel Wittmann. In a recent highlight the team advised GD Towers on its EUR 7.7 billion refinancing comprising the establishment of a new common terms financing platform and a record EUR 2.5 billion private placement. The project finance team includes highly regarded practitioner Florian Mahler, who advised Nofar Energy on the project financing of its first battery energy storage system in Germany, a deal that was shortlisted for Deal of the Year at the 2026 IFLR Europe Awards. The corporate team, led by Thomas Krecek, advised Helvetia Holding on its planned merger of equals with Baloise Holding, ultimately forming Helvetia Baloise Holding.

Key clients of the firm include GD Towers, Nofar Energy, Deutsche Bank, J.P. Morgan, MTU Aero Engines, Vantage Data Centers, Aeral Bank, Barclays Bank Ireland, Helvetia Holding, Helvetia Holding, and BNP Paribas.

Testimonials
‘We especially appreciate their teamwork approach, availability, and pragmatism.’ (M&A)
Schalast & Partner was established in 1995 and has offices in Frankfurt, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg and Stuttgart and is part of the Multilaw network. The firm is experienced in financial services regulation, banking, insurance, and M&A and is often noted for its work in with start-ups, on novel financing products and in the emerging digital finance space. This year, the Banking & Finance department, led by co-managing partner Andreas Walter, advised Raisin Bank on its regulatory assessment of European sustainability and ESG-related legislation and supervisory guidelines included in a regulatory review catalogue. The M&A team, led by managing partner Christoph Schalast, advised Beyond Capital Partner (BCP) on its acquisition of Sanitätshaus blu, requiring the coordination of corporate and real estate law expertise across multiple practice areas. Key M&A clients of the firm include Viessmann Generations Group, Mainova, Beyond Capital Partners, Faber-Castell, and Hannover Finanz. The Banking & Finance department advises DLT, Mondu, Fosun, Wayflyer, Morgan Stanley, and CRX Markets.

Testimonials

“Very active on thought leadership in the financial space and very active in the fintech sector; they are well-versed in working with start-ups and have been successful in areas such as blockchain, distributed ledger technology (DLT) and crypto-currency projects.” (Banking & Finance)

“They have a large team with a lot of dedicated regulatory lawyers and some very talented individuals.” (Financial Services Regulatory)

“Christoph Schalast is highly experienced; excellent rhetoric.”
Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom is an American multinational law firm founded in 1948 in New York. It is present in Germany with offices in Frankfurt and Munich. In Banking and Capital Markets, the firm advises on domestic and cross-border transaction, with a focus on structured finance, syndicated lending and debt restructuring, and equity capital markets work. In M&A and private equity, the firm has a strong international focus, advising private equity houses on their inbound buyouts in Germany, as well as pan-European transactions with a strong German component. The team also boasts substantial experience in significant transatlantic transactions involving major US corporates and investors. This year, the Capital Markets and M&A teams, led by Holger Hofmeister and Stephen Hutter, advised CureVac in its all-stock acquisition by BioNTech that valued CureVac at approximately USD 1.25 billion. The Private Equity team, led by Jan Bauer in Frankfurt, advised BlackRock as part of a consortium of investors led by Allianz, in the acquisition of Viridium Group, a transaction that was shortlisted as a Deal of the Year in the 2026 IFLR Europe Awards. Key clients of the firm include BlackRock, CureVac, Paypal, The Middleby Corporation, Qatar Investment Authority, Kulczyk Investments, HSBC, Jefferies, Wells Fargo Bank, Citibank, Hillenbrand, AGRAVIS Raiffeisen, and Energy Infrastructure Partners.
Debevoise & Plimpton
5 practice areas
View profile
Germany
Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson
4 practice areas
View profile
Germany
Arnold & Porter
3 practice areas
View profile
Germany
King & Wood Mallesons
9 practice areas
View profile
Germany
A&O Shearman - Germany View profile
Germany
Hermann
3 practice areas
View profile
Germany
Leonhardt
2 practice areas
View profile
Germany
Magnusson View profile
Germany
Reed Smith View profile
Germany
Rödl & Partner View profile
Germany
Beiten Burkhardt
1 practice area
View profile
Germany
Hasch & Partner View profile
Germany
Brehm & v Moers View profile
Germany
Brödermann & Jahn View profile
Germany
WilmerHale View profile
Germany
ZIRNGIBL View profile
Germany
Squire Patton Boggs
1 practice area
View profile
Germany
Baum Financial Services Law Team View profile
Germany
BBORS Kreuznacht View profile
Germany
Becker Büttner Held View profile
Germany
756 results756 results
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Deal Highlights
1,539 results1,539 results
Deal Name Deal Date Firm Name Jurisdiction Deal Type Lawyer Names Client Names Client Role
CloudHut - M&A
2022-04-01
Gunderson Dettmer
Germany
M&A
CloudHut
Target
Spread Group - M&A
2022-09-02
CMS
Germany
M&A
Dominik von Zehmen, Gerd Leutner, Maximilian Koch
Spread Group
Buyer
Banijay Gmbh - M&A
2022-07-27
Hogan Lovells Cadwalader
Germany
M&A
Alexander Koch, Bernd Klemm, Charlotte Reimers, Christian Ritz, Dennis Cukurov, Gaston Fernandez, Gesa Unland-Miramov, Ingmar Dorr, Joy Baur, Lukas Rengier, Malte Bever, Morten Petersenn, Norbert Heier, Thomas Frank
Banijay Gmbh
Buyer
Igneo Infrastructure Partners - M&A
2022-07-18
A&O Shearman - Germany
Germany
M&A
Anne Kristin, Bianca Disch, Chloe Lignier, Christoph Götz, Florian Harder, Heinrich Stirtz, Jann Jetter, Mathias Stocker, Simon Thexton, Sven Oppermann, Tobias Lammle, Xiaoqiao Zhang
Igneo Infrastructure Partners
Buyer
ABB Ltd. - M&A
2022-09-19
White & Case
Germany
M&A
Alisa Preissler, Alven Broschart, Andreas Kleinschmidt, Anna Dold, Carola Glasauer, David Dreier, David Smith, Jan Lampert, Justus Redeker, Lars Petersen, Leslie Lin, Lisa Bar, Mathias Bogusch, Mathilda Xu, Mathis Rust, Nicolai Fischer, Otto Nunez-Montelongo, Samantha Rozell, Sandra D'Ascenzo, Sebastian Stutze, Tilman Kuhn, Tim Bracksiek, Victor Thonke, William Guerrieri
ABB Ltd.
Buyer
Bauwert AG - M&A
2022-12-21
CMS
Germany
M&A
Andreas Otto, Anja Naumann, Benedikt Pittrof, Gerd Schmidt, Jesko Nobiling, Jochen Lux, Johannes Bescher, Laura Moser-Lange, Madeline Gobel, Martin Cholewa, Peter Ollesch, Rolf Hempel
Bauwert AG
Target
Witte Pumps & Technology GmbH - M&A
2022-12-15
Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek
Germany
M&A
Beliardis Ehlert-Gasde, Hans Henning Hoff, Kay Jacobsen, Stefan Bretthauer, Stefan Duhnkrack
Witte Pumps & Technology GmbH
Target
enercity AG - M&A
2022-07-14
Sullivan & Cromwell
Germany
M&A
Fabian Uebele, Jannis Rink, Juan Rodriguez, Nico Evangelisti, Peter Klormann, Silke Jurczyga, York Schnorbus, Zin Nakam
enercity AG
Seller
GNS Gesellschaft für Nuklear-Service mbH - M&A
2022-07-07
Arqis
Germany
M&A
Anja Markworth, Anselm Graf, Deniz Gunal, Eberhard Hafermalz, Friedrich Gebert, Jens Knipping, Johannes Landry, Luise Schüling, Marcus Nothhelfer, Martina Berenbrinker, Nora Meyer-Stratmann, Rolf Tichy
GNS Gesellschaft für Nuklear-Service mbH
Buyer
Waterland Private Equity Investments BV - M&A
2022-12-30
Hengeler Mueller
Germany
M&A
Andreas Kaletsch, Carina Kampf, Caroline Beyersdorf, Christian Hoefs, Daniel Wiegand, Elisabeth Kreuzer, Henning Hilke, Ioanna Tsotsa, Kira Fritsche, Lena Bohringer, Mathias Menzel, Matthias Scheifele, Sarah Milde, Simon Tanzer, Sonnhild Draack, Wolfgang Kellenter
Waterland Private Equity Investments BV
Buyer
MTV NT GmbH - M&A
2022-07-07
Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek
Germany
M&A
Beatrice Stange, Christina Huckschlag, Holger Luders, Michael Sorgel
MTV NT GmbH
Seller
Triathlon Holding GmbH - M&A
2022-12-08
CMS
Germany
M&A
Alexander Schmitt, Andreas Hofelich, Annika Hamrol, Arnaud Hugot, Dieu Hong Mai, Dwight Lee, Eva Wolff, Florian Wimmer, Hanna Heimrath, Hanna Kowalski, Huy Chi, Igor Stenzel, Jens Moraht, Johannes Bescher, Julia Tanzler-Motzek, Karsten Heider, Lisa Maria Jager, Malgorzata Urbanska, Marielle Schuster, Martin Cholewa, Martin Friedberg, Matthew Davis, Philipp Rohdenburg, Ralf Kurney, Rolf Hempel, Sylle Schreyer-Bestmann, Tanja Graue, Ursula Steinkemper
Triathlon Holding GmbH
Target
Lactalis SA - M&A
2022-03-29
Dentons
Germany
M&A
Andreas Berberich, Christine Seiz, David Lange, Dimitrios Andreadis, Emmanuelle van den Broucke, Florian Breitreiner, Frank Lenzen, Jean-Marc Grosperrin, Laura Appell, Matthias Nordmann, Maximilian Stanglmeier, Michael Heim, Nurdan Adamidis, Pablo Albrecht, Romain Picard, Sascha Grosjean
Lactalis SA
Buyer
Sunlight Group - M&A
2022-12-08
Hunton Andrews Kurth
Germany
M&A
Hannah Bradley, Jordan Hirsch, Kathleen Dill
Sunlight Group
Buyer
ACTICO GmbH - M&A
2022-12-20
Latham & Watkins
Germany
M&A
Burc Hesse
ACTICO GmbH
Buyer
Sunlight Group - M&A
2022-12-08
MinterEllison
Germany
M&A
Alberto Colla, Danica Smith
Sunlight Group
Buyer
SCP Group Sarl - M&A
2022-07-06
Clifford Chance
Germany
M&A
Charlotte Strohofer, Cristina Weidner, Diana Schoch, Frederik Muhl, Gunnar Sachs, Jana Landsittel, Joseph Saed, Lennart Gobel, Maximilian Heydeck, Moritz Poschke, Samuel Frommelt, Sascha Nolte
SCP Group Sarl
Seller
Bitcoin Group SE - M&A
2022-12-12
Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek
Germany
M&A
Christoph Gringel, Dominik Eickemeier, Meike Dresler-Lenz, Michele von Lewinski, Tatiana Vorotnitskaya, Thorsten Kuthe
Bitcoin Group SE
Buyer
va-Q-tec AG - M&A
2022-12-09
Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek
Germany
M&A
Lena Pfeufer, Mirko Sickinger, Nana Krahling
va-Q-tec AG
Target
DIF Capital Partners - M&A
2022-11-25
Hogan Lovells Cadwalader
Germany
M&A
Adrian Rudert, Alexander Stefan Rieger, Anja Brunthaler, Carla Luh, Charlotte Baecker, Constantin Cramer, Jennifer Hofmann, Joerg Herwig, Johannes Gross, Joscha Muller, Julian Schmidt, Kerstin Neighbour, Konstantin Weber, Marc Schweda, Mathias Schonhaus, Pascal Wagenfuhr, Sabrina Gabeler, Sophia Gottschlich, Stefan Kuster, Thomas Dünchheim
DIF Capital Partners
Buyer
54
of
77
By Firm
173 results173 results
Firm Name Jurisdiction Total Deals Deals (Last 12 Months)
A&O Shearman
Germany
20
0
A&O Shearman - Germany
Germany
32
0
Addleshaw Goddard
1
0
AKD
Belgium
2
0
Alexander Koelle
Germany
1
0
AllBright Law Offices
1
0
Alston & Bird
1
0
ALTENBURG
Germany
6
0
Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
Japan
1
0
Arqis
Germany
27
0
Arthur Cox
Ireland
1
0
Ashurst Perkins Coie
Germany
11
0
Baker & Hostetler
1
0
Baker McKenzie
Germany
22
0
BarentsKrans
Netherlands
1
0
Barnes & Thornburg
1
0
Bech-Bruun
Denmark
1
0
Binder Grösswang
Austria
1
0
Bird & Bird
Germany
10
0
Blake Cassels & Graydon
1
0
1
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9

Insights editorial only

From Germany to California, we round up key partner moves across private equity, secondaries, finance and venture capital
From UK private capital to Italian consolidation, tier changes demonstrate a more competitive regional cycle
The 2027 edition recognises 3,524 practices across 24 jurisdictions, with France, Germany and the UK driving much of the growth following the introduction of new tables
Eric Romba explains why digital finance regulation has become a live business priority – and why Fieldfisher is using it as a foundation in Berlin
We round up this week’s top moves in the finance, corporate, M&A and PE practices in the UK, France, the US and Germany
We round up this week’s lateral hires at leading firms across Germany, the US, UK and Brazil
New hires made in regulatory, corporate, M&A and finance practices at leading firms across the US and the UK, while German Hengeler Mueller elected two new managing partners
The finalists for the 28th annual Europe awards have been revealed, with the winners to be announced in London on June 11
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