Birgit Friedl, a German-qualified lawyer, is Of Counsel in the Munich office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP. She is a member of the firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions and Private Equity Groups, as well as the firm’s Business Restructuring and Reorganization and Global Finance Groups.

Ms. Friedl advises on all forms of German and international mergers and acquisitions, including private equity and joint venture transactions. She has in depth experience in corporate law and compliance investigations in the context of M&A and joint venture transactions. She also advises on complex corporate and financial restructurings in crisis situations and on financing transactions.

Ms. Friedl regularly represents German and international companies and financial investors from various industry sectors, including automotive, telecommunications, paper, chemical and Healthcare industry as well as service providers.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Ms. Friedl practiced as a junior partner at a renowned German law firm.  From 1993 to 1996, she was a lecturer at King’s College, London.

Ms. Friedl speaks German and English and has a working knowledge of Spanish and French.

Membership of Professional Bodies

Admitted as a German lawyer (Rechtsanwalt) since 1995

Member of TMA Germany (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Restrukturierung e.V.)

Member of Deutsch-Britische Juristenvereinigung e.V. (German British Jurists’ Association)

Representative Transactions

M&A Transactions, Joint Venture

• Neenah Gessner: Minority investment by Neenah Gessner, a global leader in specialty filter media, in Indian company AIM Filtertech Ltd.
• Saputo Group: Divestiture transaction with regard to closure of German operations.
• Russian Conglomerate: Sale of majority participation in Latvian publishing house.
• StepStone Group L.P.: Advice regarding merger of secondary private equity activities of Greenpark Capital Limited into global private equity firm Stepstone Group LP.
• A U.S. subsidiary of a Swiss financial Service Company(Credit Suisse): Secondary purchase of BPE and TVM Funds in Germany.
• Provider of IT Solutions and Services for Banking and Retail Industry: Advice in connection with corporate and organizational restructuring of three-party joint venture with two banks.
• Leading International Customer Management Solutions Provider: Corporate law advice in connection with, among other things, the acquisition of a majority stake by American Express and the company’s management equity program.
• Giesecke & Devrient: Formation of a joint venture with Wincor Nixdorf, a provider of solutions for cash handling processes in the banking and retail industry.
• German Premium Car Manufacturer: Compliance investigation and structuring of joint venture with Asian and Arab partners; structuring of interim continuation of business relationship with Russian distributor.
• Siemens Enterprise Communications: Advice in the auction process for the acquisition of the enterprise business of an international competitor out of bankruptcy.
• The Gores Group: Advice on the structuring, negotiation and set-up of its joint venture with Siemens AG relating to the acquisition of Siemens Enterprise Communications and the subsequent restructuring of the Siemens Enterprise Communications Group.
• EP Management Corporation: Sale of Wolverine Advanced Materials, a manufacturer of performance-critical, specialty materials used for automotive and industrial applications as well as consumer electronics applications with operations in the U.S., Germany, South Korea, China, Brazil, India and Japan, to Wynnchurch Capital, a U.S. private equity firm.
• Investcorp:
  • Sale of Gerresheimer Glas to Blackstone Group;
  • Acquisition of TimePartner, a German temporary employment company;
  • Structuring and implementing of several complex pre- and post-acquisition and sale restructurings, such as APCOA Parking AG and Minimax GmbH.
• A German-listed Stock Corporation: Advice regarding its contemplated joint venture with a U.S.-competitor.
• Süd-Chemie AG: Sale of its Performance Additives Business Unit to U.S.-based specialized chemical company Rockwood, a KKR subsidiary.
• Intel Corp., a large U.S. chip manufacturer: Advice in a corporate divestiture.
• Infineon Technologies AG, a Munich based high-tech company: Advice in corporate governance issues relating to a joint venture with two U.S. partners.
• Siemens AG:
  • Advice in several large divestiture transactions (automotive, computing, cable business).
  • Negotiation and implementation of several complex pre- and post-acquisition restructurings.

Restructuring and Bankruptcy

• Investor in Motor Cycling Equipment Company: Advice in connection with insolvency proceedings of investment target and release of collateral.
• Video-on-Demand Provider: Advice to parent company in connection with strategies to overcome financial crisis.
• Israeli RE Investor: Advice in connection with  restructuring of bank financing in financial crisis.
• BCBG Max Azria Group: Advice on its successful bid for the acquisition of the German department store chain, Karstadt (with 25,000 employees), out of insolvency, together with Berggruen Holdings Ltd.
• A major international bank: Assisted client in its position as member of several bank syndicates in the restructuring of independent loans granted to several members of a group of companies in financial distress.
• A Hotel Holding Company: Assistance in financial restructuring during financial distress of hotel operating entities in several jurisdictions.
• Evans Analytical Group: Restructuring and orderly closure of two German subsidiaries including release from obligations under group-wide financing documents.
• FiberMark, Inc., a U.S. paper manufacturer: Advice in various financing transactions, as well as a corporate reorganization and operational restructuring of its German subsidiaries in the context of the ultimate U.S. parent company’s filing for chapter 11 and its emergence from insolvency thereafter.
• PWG/Klöckner a steel trading company: Restructuring during a financial crisis.
• Bast Bau, a construction conglomerate: Corporate and financial restructuring during a financial crisis.

Financing Transactions

• Manufacturer of Contact Lenses and Lens Care Products: Advice to German management in connection with several billion USD refinancing transaction.
• Polyconcept Investments B.V.: Debt refinancing including refinancing of German operations.
• Russian Conglomerate: Negotiation of financing and security package in vessel financing transaction.
• Rudigier & Partner Beteiligungsgesellschaft: Advice to Austrian investor in connection with financing and security package related to acquisition of German and Hong Kong target entities trading under Rena Lange.
• Computer Sciences Corporation: Set up of multi-national cash-pool, consolidation of local cash pools into multi-national cash-pool and related collateral matters.
• ADCO Global, Inc: Refinancing of its German subsidiaries.
• Porex Corporation: Corporate restructuring and refinancing of its German operations.
• Capital Bank: Advice in connection with various financing transactions (Skala Capital City Invest GmbH , Fair Value REIT-AG, RWB).
• Delek Belron International and Israel Phoenix Assurance (both quoted on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange): Purchase of three blocs of loans from an international investment bank. The loans were backed by 30 income-producing properties in Germany and Switzerland with an underlying value of €315 million.
• Distributor of electrical supplies (Hagemeyer): Advice on various refinancings and a receivables securitization.
• SRAM: Corporate restructuring and refinancing of its German subsidiaries.
• Celanese Corporation: Advice regarding a major corporate restructuring and refinancing transaction following the squeeze-out including numerous aspects of German conversion and stock corporation law.