Dr Christoph Carstens

Dr Carstens is specialized in corporate law matters. He primarily advises medium-sized and large companies and groups of companies from Germany and abroad, in particular on national and cross-border acquisitions and sales of companies (M&A), joint ventures and real estate transactions (share deals). Dr Carstens also assists foreign clients with legal questions regarding market entry into Germany. A further focus of his consulting activities is on questions of organization, control and responsibility of corporate management (corporate governance) as well as the establishment of compliance systems to avoid legal violations in companies.  

Dr Carstens is co-head of the Corporate and Commercial Law Practice Group and head of the Corporate Transactions (M&A) Competence Team.

Dr Carstens speaks German and English.

What others say

frequently recommended for M&A; 'solution-oriented and creative, excellent M&A skills', competitor
JUVE Handbook 2022/23

Leading lawyer for corporate law 2020 
WirtschaftsWoche Top-Kanzleien 2020

One of the most recommended lawyers for Corporate Governance & Compliance Practice and Mergers and Acquisitions Law
Handelsblatt/Best Lawyers® 'Germany's Best Lawyers 2022'

Recent work

• Advising LIVOS Group on share deals for the acquisition and sale of residential and commercial real estate and related project developments
• Advising FREO Group and Tristan Capital on the acquisition of a hotel and commercial property by way of a share deal
• Advising Dutch Dümmen Orange Group on the restructuring of the group in Germany
• Advising Getsafe GmbH on the sale of the digital brokerage business and the Getsafe app to Verivox
• Advising acrylic fiber manufacturer DRALON on the acquisition of DOLAN
• Advising English HENI Group on strategic acquisitions in Germany
• Advising Canadian medical equipment manufacturer Laborie on company acquisitions in Germany and subsequent integration measures
• Advising Denham Capital on the sale of two cogeneration plants in Germany
• Advising a US private equity investor on the acquisition of groups of companies in Switzerland, Great Britain and the Netherlands
• Advising a German animal feed manufacturer on an acquisition in Canada
• Advising c-m-p gmbh on entering into a strategic joint venture with DowAksa
• Advising of the railway technology-group Vossloh upon acquisition of the dutch ETS Spoor
• Advising SIEMES Schuhcenter upon acquisition of branches of the Dielmann/Sporthübner-group

Curriculum vitae 

• Law studies at the University of Hamburg, 1999 to 2003
• Legal traineeship (Referendariat) in Hamburg, Düsseldorf and London, 2005 to 2008
• PhD at the Freie Universität of Berlin, 2009
• Lawyer with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, 2008 to 2011
• Lawyer with Kapellmann since 2011
• Lecturer at the Aachen University of Applied Sciences since 2018

Further qualifications and membership

• Lecturer for M&A at the FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences
• Lecturer in the areas of M&A and corporate compliance
• JURIS author
• Member of the International Bar Association (IBA)
• Member of the Scientific Association for Corporate and Company Law (VGR)
• Member of the German Association for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (Deutscher Mittelstands-Bund – DMB)