JUVELAW FIRM DOSSIER

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This practice – one of the rising stars of the Ger-man white collar crime scene – is finally standing on its own two feet. In just a few years, Dr. Norbert Scharf has produced a criminal law team virtually from scratch which is held in extremely high es-teem. Initially only seldom involved in high-pro-file proceedings and not always in a leading role, step by step he has pushed his way to the front lines.Düsseldorf defense veteran Sven Thomas from the firm TDWE and Scharf worked together many times in recent years. What sceptics in the market believed made the latter merely a shadow of the highly experienced defense lawyer now proved to be a springboard and a prime example of success-

ful client advice; Scharf held on to the clients even after Thomas partially stepped down. He also po-sitioned himself at the side of a host of other eco-nomic players, among them the chairman of the VW supervisory board Pötsch in the emissions af-fair, Deutsche Börse CEO Kengeter and the drug-store entrepreneur Schlecker. Scharf has a partner in Dr. Sebastian Gall who, although not as well known yet, attracted attention with his litigation for Schlecker’s daughter and the successful battle for a Swiss citizen against US extradition. The rul-ing from Frankfurt Higher Regional Court (Ober-landesgericht) in this matter is seen as a game-changer.

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ContentsPRACTICE AREAS Page

Insolvency and Restructuring 6

White Collar Crime and Tax Criminal Law 8

What is JUVE German Commercial Law Firms? 10

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Practice AreasRankings and Analysis

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Insolvency and Restructuring

DentonsFreshfields Bruckhaus DeringerGleiss LutzGörg

AnchorCMS Hasche Siglehww Hermann Wienberg WilhelmNoerrSchultze & BraunTaylor Wessing

Dr. Beck & PartnerFlöther & WissingKebekus et ZimmermannWhite & Case

AnchorBBL Bernsau Brockdorff & PartnerBrinkmann & PartnerGörghww Hermann Wienberg WilhelmJafféPlutaSchultze & BraunSGP Schneider Geiwitz & Partner

BBL Bernsau Brockdorff & PartnerBrinkmann & PartnerBRL Boege Rohde LuebbehuesenHeuking Kühn Lüer WojtekHogan LovellsWellensiek

AderholdAndresPartnerBuchalik BrömmekampFinkenhofMayer BrownMcDermott Will & Emery

Müller-Heydenreich Bierbach & KollegenPiepenburg GerlingReimerSchmidt-Jortzig Petersen Penzlin

AndresPartnerBRL Boege Rohde LuebbehuesenCMS Hasche SigleKüblerLeonhardt RattundeNiering Stock TömpWellensiek

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Insolvency Administration/Trusteeships

Insolvency and Corporate Rescue

Recommended:

Dr. Thilo Schultze

(“excellent, internationally

experienced”, competitor)

Dr. Volker Muschalle

(“renowned specialist”,

competitor)

Dr. Hans Schenk

Martin Mucha

Dr. Wolfgang Bilgery

U R T E I LStrengths:

Corporate rescue in the Mittelstand; insolvency

administration focusing on continuation, even in

complex cases.

Insolvency and Corporate Rescue Insolvency Administration/Trusteeships Comment: This firm highly recommended for

corporate rescue and recommended for insolvency

administration pressed ahead with the sustainable

growth it is known for: the Munich office gained

weight with two partner appointments, bolstering

the interface between civil law restructuring and

►criminal law. One prominent case in this context

was the defense of Schlecker family members in

criminal proceedings. Although many insolvency

firms conduct litigation, this criminal law expertise

is a USP. GB knows the auto supply industry like

few others and has played a number of roles for

years, incl. corporate rescue advice with or without

trusteeship, insolvency administration and now

also CRO. The frequent proposals for trustee roles,

now from across Germany, demonstrate the firm’s

high regard, even outside of this sector.

Strengths: Corporate rescue in the Mittelstand;

insolvency administration focusing on continua-

tion, even in complex cases.

Recommended: Dr. Thilo Schultze (“excellent,

internationally experienced”, competitor), Dr.

Volker Muschalle (“renowned specialist”, com-

petitor), Dr. Hans Schenk, Martin Mucha, Dr.

Wolfgang Bilgery.

Practice: Restructuring and crisis advice, mainly

to the Mittelstand. Also on a national level for large

companies; on the creditor side for credit institutes

and international real estate service providers.

Much trustee work. Extensive support to the Grub

Brugger insolvency administrators: court appoint-

ments throughout Baden-Württemberg; specialist

employment lawyers and litigators. (14 equity

partners, 3 salary partners, 15 associates)

Clients: • MWS Group in insolvency protection proceedings;• Strenesse insolvency administrator (Nerlich/Görg) on

sale; • Hoeckle Group on self-administration (CRO).

Trustee: Automotive Group Kontec (Ludwigshafen). Insolvency administration: Süddeutsche Aktienbank (Stuttgart).

Insolvency and Restructuring Analysis

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Dr. Felix Dörr & KollegenFeigen GrafHammPartnerKrause & KollegenThomas Deckers Wehnert Elsner

DierlammKempf SchillingParkVBB RechtsanwälteWessing & Partner

Gercke WollschlägerOtmar KuryUfer Knauer

Ignor & PartnerLeitner & PartnerLohberger & LeipoldRedeker Sellner Dahs

Compart & SchmidtKnierim & KrugQuedenfeldProf. Dr. Franz SaldittSchiller & KollegenStrafverteidigerbüroWannemacher & Partner

Brehm & v. MoersEisenmann Wahle Birk & WeidnerDr. Frank Dr. Auffermann Halbritter Dr. HorrerLangrock Voß & SoykaNoerrRoxinTrüg Habetha

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6Recommended:

Dr. Norbert Scharf

(“always excellently

prepared, very analytical”,

“having an impressive run,

hats off”, “I really like

working with him”, “calm,

obliging, reliable”,

competitors)

U R T E I LStrengths:

Defense of individual managers.

White Collar Crime and Tax Criminal Law

White Collar Crime: Advice/Litigation for Individuals

White Collar Crime: Individuals Comment: In an impressive year,

GB secured its spot among the firms

respected in white collar crime. The

driving force behind this is well-con-

nected partner Scharf. From an occasional, not al-

ways leading role in high-profile proceedings, he

has developed into an established player at the

forefront of the market. Defense work for drug-

store entrepreneur Schlecker and chairman of the

VW supervisory board Pötsch are just the most re-

cent examples. This was flanked by remarkable

success in extradition proceedings. The last critics

left doubting the sustainability of GB’s develop-

ment were thus silenced.

Strengths: Defense of individual managers.

Development potential: The practice will go

even further if it puts other lawyers besides Scharf

in the spotlight in high-profile proceedings. The

conditions are good, as GB boasts a solid criminal

law team.

Recommended: Dr. Norbert Scharf (“always ex-

cellently prepared, very analytical”, “having an

impressive run, hats off”, “I really like working

with him”, “calm, obliging, reliable”, competi-

tors).

Practice: Focus on the defense of individuals in

white collar crime and tax criminal law, incl. ac-

counting and corruption offenses, also tax crimi-

nal law. Most work is for managers, also on the

interface with civil law liability and professional

regulations. (2 equity partners, 2 associates)

Clients: • Anton and Meike Schlecker in criminal trial; • chairman of VW supervisory board Pötsch on emis-

sions affair; • Deutsche Börse CEO Kengeter on insider trading; • former shareholder of bank Oppenheim in Sal.

Oppenheim proceedings; • Swiss citizen on annulment of US extradition warrant.

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Analysis

White Collar Crime and Tax Criminal Law

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JUVE RESEARCH AT A GL ANCE

16,129C O M P A N I E S

contacted

1,429L AW F I R M S

contacted

751 persons

2,076 lawyers

+3,625 completed questionnaires684 companies

714 law firms

816 law firms

10,269 interviews

The JUVE team of 22 experienced editors conducts research throughout the year, analyzing and assessing market developments and recommendations

in order to produce the final handbook.

comparing

evaluating

market developments

analyzing

recommend

from

from

from

What is JUVE GermanCommercial Law Firms?JUVE German Commercial Law Firms is the English language version of the German reference

work JUVE Handbuch Wirtschaftskanzleien. This comprehensive guide on the German legal market

offers analysis and in-depth comment on close to 700 law firms.

The book is based on comprehensive research among law firms, company executives, legal

departments, public officials and others active in the legal industry. Our independent editorial team

boasts 20 years of experience in the legal market.