Dr Christoph Carstens

Christoph has many years of experience in the areas of corporate law and mergers and acquisitions (M&A). He advises clients, inter alia, on the formation, restructuring and liquidation of companies and groups of companies and on the acquisition and sale of companies and shareholdings, regularly also on a cross-border basis. Another focus of his practice is advising on compliance and corporate governance issues. His clients include large corporations and groups from Germany and abroad as well as medium-sized entrepreneurs and companies and their board members, primarily from the industrial, service and real estate sectors. 

Christoph is co-head of the practice group Commercial and Corporate Law and head of the competence team Corporate Transactions (M&A). He speaks German and English.

What others say

Often recommended for M&A and corporate law; "precise and forward-looking", "good negotiator, always keeps a calm head", competitor
JUVE Handbook 2023/24

Cited as "often recommended" - "solution-orientated and creative, excellent M&A knowledge", 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 2023'

Recent work

• Advising a group of companies in the construction industry on the dispute with the heirs of a shareholder
• Advising a hotel operator on the sale of several hotels
• Advising a chemical park operator on the auditing and realignment of the group-wide compliance management system
• Advising a project developer in the shopping center sector in a multi-jurisdictional shareholder dispute
• Advising a nursing home operator on the sale of an operating company
• Advising a leading retail chain in the textile sector on the acquisition of several stores of a competitor
• Advising a listed company in the railroad technology sector on a strategic acquisition in the Netherlands
• Advising the management on the acquisition (MBO) of an international communications agency
• Advising a fine art printing company from the UK on acquisitions and restructuring in Germany
• Advising a global real estate services provider from the USA on restructuring and corporate governance issues
• Advising various project developers on the purchase and sale of real estate projects and existing properties (share deals) in the residential, commercial and hotel sectors
• Advising a FinTech on the sale of its core business
• Advising a medical device manufacturer from the USA on company acquisitions and restructuring in Germany
• Advising an SDAX-listed group on the revision of its group-wide compliance management system
• Advising an investment fund from the USA on the sale of BMHKWs in Germany
• Advising a German animal feed manufacturer on an acquisition in Canada
• Advising an MDAX group on strategic joint ventures in Asia and Africa

Curriculum vitae 

• Law studies at the University of Hamburg, 1999 to 2003
• Legal clerkship in Hamburg, Düsseldorf and London, 2005 to 2008
• Doctorate at the Free University of Berlin, 2009
• Lawyer at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, 2008 to 2011
• Lawyer at Kapellmann since 2011
• Lecturer for M&A at FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences 2018 to 2022
  

Further qualifications and membership

• Regular lecturing and training activities, in particular in the areas of M&A, directors' liability and compliance
• Authoring activities for the JURIS AnwaltZertifikatOnline
• Member of the International Bar Association (IBA)
• Member of the Scientific Association for Corporate and Business Law (VGR)
• Member of the German Association of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses (DMB)