Dr. Dirk Kocher advises corporations, private equity firms, and strategic investors on public transactions, restructurings, and shareholder issues.

Dirk advises clients on a full spectrum of transformative transactions, restructurings and high-stakes shareholder disputes related to German stock corporations. He regularly guides clients through: 

  • Public M&A, taking private transactions, and PIPEs
  • Corporate and financial restructurings of public companies
  • Corporate governance, activism defense, and shareholder litigation 

Drawing on an exceptional understanding of German stock corporation law, he regularly advises boards on complex transactions as well as compliance issues and shareholder disputes. 

Dirk was a lecturer at Bucerius law school and currently serves there as chairman of the board of trustees of the Foundation of the Institute for Corporate and Capital Markets Law. He formerly served as vice chairman of the board of the Finnish-German Trade Association in Hamburg and regularly publishes and speaks on corporate and capital markets’ law issues.

Accolades

Best Lawyers – M&A, Corporate and Capital Markets Law in Germany
Handelsblatt Best Lawyers 2019-2023

Notable Practitioner – M&A
IFLR1000 2020-2024

Recommended – Corporate Law
BUJ Kanzleimonitor 2016-2017  

“Well versed in complex restructurings and corporate governance issues”
The Legal 500 EMEA 2015

Dirk’s experience includes advising:

Capital Markets

  • Corsair Capital on the capital increases of MPC Capital AG including on exemption from the mandatory tender duty
  • HBOS Group on a capital increase of MLP AG
  • Marley Spoon SE on a business combination agreement for a de-SPAC transaction with 468 SPAC II SE
  • Novo Holdings AS on two strategic PIPE investments in listed German Evotec AG by way of a capital increase (private placement)
  • Siemens AG on the IPO of its healthcare business (Siemens Healthineers)
  • Syndicate of Banks on Douglas’ IPO

Public M&A and Taking Private Transactions

  • Aareal Bank AG on the investment agreement and take-over offer by Advent International Corporation and Centerbridge Europe (€2 billion)
  • Aliaxis S.A. on a mandatory bid for and subsequent squeeze-out of Friatec AG
  • Antin Infrastructure Partners on the acquisition of the majority stake in medical-diagnostic provider amedes Holding AG 
  • Capvis Equity Partners AG in the acquisition of the majority stake in listed WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik AG and the subsequent sale to KKR
  • Chorus Clean Energy in its squeeze-out by Capital Stage AG
  • GHX Europe on the acquisition of Medical Columbus AG
  • Kalina International SA on the delisting, squeeze-out, and subsequent sale of Dr. Scheller Cosmetics AG 
  • Kampa AG as the target company of a public takeover offer by Triton
  • Nord Pool ASA on the sale of a stake in EEX AG
  • Novo Holdings AS on Cinven’s public acquisition offer of Synlab
  • PNE on an investor agreement to prepare a takeover bid by Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners and as the target of this offer
  • RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG as the target company of a public takeover offer by Fresenius and later as target of another offer by Asklepios
  • RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG on its €3.07 billion sale of major assets to Fresenius Helios and on its share buyback program with tender rights admitted to trading on the stock exchange and a volume of nearly €1.7 billion, the deal was named the 2015 European Corporate Deal of the Year by The Lawyer 
  • SBW Schweizer Beteiligungswerte AG on a public takeover offer for FHR Finanzhaus AG 
  • Starwood on a domination agreement with Design Hotels AG and its subsequent downlisting as well as a later merger squeeze-out
  • THF AS on a public tender offer for IFM Immobilien AG
  • Triton on:
    • A merger squeeze-out of minority shareholders of RENK AG
    • A block purchase from Volkswagen AG and public takeover offer of RENK AG shares and subsequent merger squeeze-out

Restructurings and Reorganizations

  • A bank consortium on restructuring of Vivonio Group
  • Leoni AG on its German scheme restructuring (StaRUG) including capital reduction to zero, delisting, and capital increase
  • Deutsche Bank AG in the restructuring (including debt-equity swaps) of listed German corporations (Deutsche Steinzeug Cremer & Breuer AG, and Vivanco-Gruppe AG)
  • Accentro Real Estate AG on its financial restructuring
  • Senior Creditors’ Committee regarding the loan-to-own restructuring of Honsel AG
  • Lender SteerCo on its restructuring of Benteler International AG
  • Senior Lenders on restructuring of WKW group
  • Inapa on corporate re-organization of its German group
  • Aliaxis on corporate re-organization of its German group

Activism Defense and Shareholder Disputes

  • Aareal Bank AG on defence against a shareholder activist campaign
  • PNE AG on stock corporation and capital markets law including special audit and proxy fights after activist engagement
  • RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG on defence against shareholder activism in the context of its takeover by Asklepios
  • German listed stock corporations in shareholder disputes (e.g., RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG, Klöckner-Werke AG, WCM AG, FAME AG, Friatec AG, Dr. Scheller Cosmetics AG, and New Work SE)
  • Various defendants in court appraisal proceedings following taking private measures (e.g. domination agreement and squeeze-out of Friatec AG; delisting and squeeze-out of Dr. Scheller Cosmetics AG, domination agreement with Medion AG, domination agreement with Design Hotels AG)

Select Private M&A Transactions

  • H.I.G. Capital on the acquisition of Losberger Group 
  • Inapa on the acquisition of Papyrus Germany from Opti-Group
  • Mobivia Groupe on the acquisition of German automotive services market leader A.T.U Auto-Teile-Unger    
  • Uniper on the divestiture of its stake in giant Russian gas field Yuzhno-Russkoye
  • ZF Friedrichshafen on the:  
    • Acquisition of WABCO 
    • Sale of the global Body Control Systems business to Luxshare

Bar Qualification

  • Rechtsanwalt (Germany)

Education

  • Dr. jur., University Frankfurt, 2003
  • LL.M., University of Helsinki, 2001
  • Second German State Exam, Higher Regional Court, Stuttgart, 2000
  • First German State Exam, University of Tuebingen, 1998

Languages Spoken

  • German
  • English
  • Swedish