A&O Shearman is a popular address for national and international insurance and reinsurance companies, investors, insurtechs, financial distributors and asset managers, which instruct the team on domestic and cross-border transactions, structuring measures as well as ongoing corporate law and regulatory issues. In addition, the team is well versed in matters pertaining to company pensions, here, practice head Jan Schröder is a key contact; he also offers comprehensive support in all aspects of insurance company, regulatory and corporate law as well as insurance-related M&A transactions.
Advice to insurers in Germany
A&O Shearman
Referenzen
‘Legal expertise combined with a strong understanding of economic contexts and the industry.’
‘Jan Schröder is an excellent lawyer and top consultant with extreme reliability.’
‘The A&O Shearman team is very well positioned and extremely competent.’
Kernmandanten
Allianz Gruppe
Athora Group
BNP Paribas
Canada Life Group
Deutsche BetriebsRenten Holding
FM Global
Frankfurter Leben Guppe
Gallagher European Holdings
Markel Insurance Group
Munich Re
Swiss Life Gruppe
Trupanion
Zürich Gruppe
Highlight-Mandate
- Advising the Frankfurter Leben Group on the acquisition of Generali Deutschland Pensionskasse AG (now Frankfurter Pensionskasse AG) from Generali Deutschland AG.
- Advising Zurich Group Germany in the context of an auction process on the sale of its portfolio of traditional life insurance policies to Viridium, a specialist in the management of life insurance portfolios in Germany, including post-signature advice and the completion of the transaction.
- Advising Swiss Life on the establishment of a German life insurance company in the form of a European Company (SE) and transfer of the business of the German branch to this new life insurance company based in Germany.
Clyde & Co LLP
Clyde & Co LLP is experienced in advising on regulatory matters as well as corporate law and restructuring. This is complemented by expertise in run-offs and insurance disputes, while another focus is on interfacing compliance, data protection and directors' liability issues. Practice head Eva-Maria Barbosa is well versed in exit strategies for discontinued business areas as well as run-offs and cross-border outsourcing services agreements.
Kernmandanten
AIG
Allianz
AXA
Compre Group
Delvag (Lufthansa Group)
Domestic & General
Dual
Finlex
Gothaer Versicherung
Howden
Liberty Global Transaction Solutions
Lockton
Markel
Parametrix Solutions
Stellantis insurance
Wüstenrot & Württembergische AG
Highlight-Mandate
- Advising Howden on the acquisition of German insurance broker Northern Lloyd.
- Advising Wüstenrot & Württembergische Group on the takeover of start:bausparkasse AG from the Austrian BAWAG by Wüstenrot Bausparkasse AG.
- Advising Liberty Global Transaction Solutions in its settlement with the Austrian B&C Group in a post-M&A dispute following the acquisition of a majority stake in the packaging manufacturer Schur Flexibles; one of the largest payments in the European W&I market.
Dentons
Dentons' insurance law practice offers longstanding expertise in European insurance supervisory, broker and insurance contract law and is also well versed in insurance-related compliance issues; these competencies are regularly called upon by international insurers, insurance brokers and insurtechs. Another focus is on digitised topics pertaining to the insurance industry, including online distribution, AI and embedded insurance; practice head Kai Goretzky is a key contact here. Co-head of the European tax practice Michael Graf is experienced in tax-optimised structuring and tax audits.
Referenzen
‘Dentons has never let me down in terms of the quality of their advice, availability and support.’
‘Overall, Dentons’ combination of global reach, specialized insurance law expertise and commitment to innovation positions it as a leader in the legal industry. Clients seeking a firm with extensive international capabilities, deep regulatory knowledge and a proactive approach to legal challenges will find Dentons a compelling choice.’
‘Kai Goretzky has established himself as a prominent figure in Dentons’ Frankfurt office, leading the insurance practice with a focus on European insurance regulatory law, broker law and insurance contract law. In summary, Kai Goretzky’s comprehensive legal acumen combined with his profound industry knowledge and proactive approach to regulatory challenges make him a trusted advisor in the insurance sector.’
Kernmandanten
AIG
Euclid
Transact
Everest
Vale
Ambridge GmbH & Co KG
CherryHUB
COGITANDA
Zero Insurance
Prisma Life
Deutsche Invest Immobilien AG (d.i.i.)
AnorTech Trading AG
BARMER
Vivy GmbH (Allianz Group)
Allianz SE
Baloise Vie
Gothaer Finanzholding AG
UPS Capital
Deutsche Vermögensberatung AG
Liberty
Highlight-Mandate
- Advising the COGITANDA Group on several individual questions regarding claims settlement by subsidiaries of the group, including questions relating to brokerage law. In addition, advising on the re-orientation of brokerage contracts.
- Advising Ambridge on how the business model can be supported after Brexit through a UK branch and the establishment of continental European branches and what regulatory requirements this entails.
- Advising Zero Insurance on potential expansions into the Canadian market as well as the legal framework for three product extensions as part of a financing round.
DLA Piper
Led by Thomas Gädtke, DLA Piper advises on regulatory matters as well as compensation issues in life insurance and compliance. Another focus is on cyber incidents, while Gunne Bähr also advises national and international insurers, reinsurers and insurance brokers on liability and coverage procedures, in particular D&O and other financial lines. Counsel Volker Lemmer is also part of the core team and advises (re)insurance companies on governance and compliance issues as well as on risk management and outsourcing structures.
Referenzen
‘Volker Lemmer convinced us with his expertise and pragmatic approach. I recommend him without reservation.’
‘Great team, the training of young colleagues is actively addressed.’
‘Christian Schneider: Excellent legal advice, very experienced, out-of-the-box thinking; professional, trustworthy dealings with clients, but also reliable towards third parties (insured parties, claimants).’
Highlight-Mandate
- Advising various major German insurance companies on the handling and management of cyber attacks, including ransomware attacks. Comprehensive advice on incident response, in particular on data protection law and criminal law, as well as extensive advice on coverage and liability law, including insured costs and business interruption losses and advice on recourse options.
- Advising a German insurance company on the cross-border merger of its wholly-owned subsidiary, a reinsurance company based in Luxembourg; in addition to the cross-border merger, also assisting with the coordination with the supervisory authorities in Germany (BaFin) and Luxembourg (CAA).
- Advising an insurtech in connection with German market entry for the distribution of cyber insurance and related services. Support both in the establishment and licensing as well as at the governance and product level.
Hengeler Mueller
Hengeler Mueller's team is led by Carl-Philipp Eberlein, who boasts expertise in insurance and banking supervisory law, and advises various major German insurers and smaller insurance companies as well as international insurance companies on corporate law and regulatory issues, including the distribution of insurance policies and the establishment of company pension schemes. The practice is also experienced in compliance, internal investigations, carve-outs and the transfer of insurance portfolios at national and international level.
Kernmandanten
Allianz
Alte Leipziger
AXA
Deutsche Rückversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
Ergo Group
Extend, Inc.
Generali
Gesamtverband der Versicherer (GDV)
Gothaer
Hannover Rück
HUK-COBURG Haftpflicht-Unterstützungs-Kasse kraftfahrender Beamter Deutschlands a.G. in Coburg
Ottonova Krankenversicherung
Provinzial Group
Rheinland Versicherungsgruppe
R+V Versicherung
Standard Life
Swiss Life
Talanx
Wüstenrot & Württembergische
VHV Gruppe
Hogan Lovells International LLP
Hogan Lovells International LLP is instructed by insurers, reinsurers and other companies on regulatory, tax and corporate law issues. The team routinely supports national and cross-border restructurings of insurance groups, including the structuring of company pension schemes. Other mainstays include compliance, insurance supervisory, trade and accounting law investigations as well as the advice on relevant tax matters. Christoph Küppers heads the practice and is a key contact for insurance and reinsurance groups, private equity firms and financial services providers.
Referenzen
‘Competence, a high level of industry understanding and high reliability. No matter who the contact person is, I can rely on the colleagues with the right experience for the respective issue being found and included.’
‘Christoph Küppers: Uniquely broad spectrum of legal expertise in the areas legally relevant to the insurance industry as well as excellent industry knowledge.’
‘We found Hogan Lovells to be extremely competent and solution-oriented in the context of an innovative M&A project. Despite time-critical implementation parameters and the challenging situation, the legal assessment was very comprehensive. In particular, the transparency and the clear classification of the facts were very helpful for us.’
Kernmandanten
DELL Technologies Inc., U.S.A.
ERGO Group
Försäkringsaktiebolaget Agria (publ), Sweden
General Reinsurance AG (GRAG)
Generali
Great American Insurers
NÜRNBERGER Versicherung
Provinzial Versicherungsgruppe
ROLAND Rechtsschutz-Versicherungs-AG
Signal Iduna
Talanx Gruppe
HDI Global Specialty SE
XL Catlin SE
Highlight-Mandate
- Advising the Talanx Group on the acquisition of Liberty Mutual Insurance Inc.’s insurance business in Latin America.
- Advising Signal Iduna as part of the transformation program ‘VISION2023’, along with the transformation of larger parts of the organization to make Signal Iduna more agile.
- Advising NÜRNBERGER on the sale of NÜRNBERGER PensionsfondsAG to Metzler.
Linklaters
Linklaters boasts expertise in corporate advice to insurers and frequently supports reinsurance transactions and M&A transactions across the life insurance sector; the team also regularly assists international reinsurers and insurance groups with restructuring projects. Regulatory matters are another key strength, where banking and insurance supervisory lawyer Frederik Winter regularly takes the leas. He is part of the team led by Wolfgang Krauel (corporation law and M&A) and Thomas Broichhausen (capital and corporate law, M&A, fintech, insurtech).
Highlight-Mandate
- Advising the BVV Insurance Association of the Banking Industry on the structuring and outsourcing of BVV’s administrative services to the newly founded subsidiary BVV Pension Management.
- Advising Allianz/Allianz Direct Versicherung on legal consolidation in the Netherlands and Spain for the strategic orientation and management of the European business.
- Advising the German Luko Insurance AG on securing its assets and safeguarding the interests of its policyholders in the context of the insolvency proceedings via its French parent company Demain ES SAS and sister company Luko Cover SAS.
Taylor Wessing
Taylor Wessing's insurance practice, led by Gunbritt Kammerer-Galahn, is regularly instructed by national and international insurance companies on distribution matters in connection with insurance supervisory and insurance broker law. The team is also well versed in advising on major losses, including cyber risks and D&O claims. Kammerer-Galahn, who also leads the firm's international financial services & insurance group, specialises in insurance supervisory, insurance distribution and reinsurance contract law, which mirrors the team's core competencies.
Referenzen
‘The collaboration with Gunbritt Kammerer-Galahn is worth highlighting. High level of confidence in the service and very good response time to inquiries.’
‘Thanks to the expertise of this large law firm in a wide range of areas, the client receives comprehensive advice that includes not only insurance law and knowledge of the regulations that affect a pension fund, but also advice on employment law, social security law and IT law. Clients feel like they are in good hands and receive pragmatic, but still very competent support.’
‘Gunbritt Kammerer-Galahn is a proven expert and supported us very well. She negotiated for us in a friendly but firm manner and put herself in her client’s shoes. On site and in teams, both forms of negotiation were well prepared, well followed up and simply perfect.’
‘Not only do they have top knowledge, but they also have very high social skills. TW also offers a very good range of online events.’
Kernmandanten
Europ Assistance – Generali Group
ERGO Group AG
AXA Versicherung AG
CHUBB European Group SE
ING-DiBa AG
Crédit Agricole |Assurances SA (CACI)
Provinzial Versicherung AG
Partner Re Europe SE
Fidelis Insurance
REMCI® Finance GmbH
Cambiaso Risso
MSIG
AXA Liabilities Managers
Highlight-Mandate
- Advising Europ Assistance – Generali Group on all insurance supervisory, insurance distribution and insurance contract law issues regarding business matters in Germany.
- Advising ERGO Group AG on ESG regulation with regard to the distribution of certain investments in funds.
- Advising AXA Versicherung AG on all aspects of reinsurance contract law.
BACH LANGHEID DALLMAYR
National and international insurance companies, financial services providers and clients from the industry, commerce and trade segments regularly instruct BACH LANGHEID DALLMAYR on insurance and liability law matters. Practice head Joachim Grote boasts expertise in insurance supervisory law and in the life, occupational disability, health and accident insurance segments, while Martin Schaaf also focuses on complex issues in insurance supervisory law as well as personal insurance and reinsurance matters.
Referenzen
‘In my opinion, one of the best law firms in this field of practice in Germany, with everything that a lawyer needs, starting with competent and rapid processing, through the tactical approach to mandates and the consistent pursuit of the client’s goals.’
‘Ability to provide high quality advice in all service areas. Their strength in depth sets them apart.’
‘Very practice-oriented and pragmatic, BLD knows what the client needs.’
Highlight-Mandate
CMS
CMS is regularly instructed by German and international insurance companies, reinsurers and insurance brokers on all aspects of insurance and reinsurance law, including marine insurance matters. In addition to advising on regulatory and corporate law issues, Winfried Schnepp 's team is also well versed in negotiations and disputes pertaining to insurance and reinsurance law. Key contact Thomas Maur is experienced in insurance contract and insurance brokerage law and regularly supports international insurers in connection with German market entry, the implementation of new regulatory requirements as well as domestic and cross-border claims.
Noerr
Noerr regularly advises insurers and reinsurers on corporate law issues, particularly in the context of insurance supervision as well as in connection with M&A, portfolio transfers and restructuring; other mainstays include risk analysis, corporate governance and compliance. Practice head Thomas Heitzer also covers these topics and is supported by Lisa Haseloff, who boasts in-depth expertise in supervisory and regulatory issues, particularly in connection with digital distribution models.
Referenzen
‘Particularly practical and solution-oriented advice, geared to the in-house needs of the insurance company.’
Kernmandanten
Debeka Krankenversicherungsverein a.G.
Talanx AG
Highlight-Mandate
- Advising Debeka Health Insurance Association in the context of an IT project.
- Advising Talanx AG on the agreement of a new revolving credit facility in the amount of €250 million.
Norton Rose Fulbright
Norton Rose Fulbright's insurance practice advises insurers and brokers on W&I policies as well as regulatory and contractual issues. The practice is routinely instructed on regulatory requirements and relevant corporate law issues as well as licensing, product design and distribution issues. These capacities correspond with the key strengths of practice head Anne Fischer, who specialises in M&A transactions, corporate law and regulatory matters; she is also well versed in advising insurtechs.
Referenzen
‘Very good market knowledge, in-depth knowledge and experience in insurance law, punctuality.’
‘Anne Fischer: Very good market knowledge and extensive experience, pragmatic, easily usable results, very reactive, open and honest communication and assessment.’
Kernmandanten
AIG
Allianz
Ambridge
Aviva
AXA
BalRe Technologies
Barmenia Allgemeine Versicherungs-AG
Cardif
Chubb
ELEMENT Insurance AG
Euclid Insurance
Europ Assistance
Gen Digital Inc.
Generali
HanseMerkur
Howden Group
HUK-COBURG
Hyperion Insurance Group
Liberty
Moinsure GmbH/hepster
Munich Re
Net Zero Insurance Alliance
PIB Group
Signal Iduna
Swiss Life
Viridium
Zurich
Highlight-Mandate
- Advising Zurich Deutschland Group on the regulatory approval procedures and other closing preparations in connection with the sale of its traditional life insurance business to Viridium.
- Advising a leading global asset manager of a globally active European insurance group on collaborative shareholder engagement in the light of ESG regulation as well as on investment law and outsourcing-related issues regarding the establishment of a shared service center in India in the form of a joint venture.
- Advising numerous international insurance companies in connection with a high three-digit number of underwritings for W&I policies in the German market, with a focus on real estate, life sciences and healthcare as well as technology.
Oppenhoff
In early 2024, Anna-Catharina von Girsewald took over the management of Oppenhoff‘s insurance practice, which advises various insurers and IT services providers on transactions as well as corporate and supervisory law. In addition to the traditional focus on W&I, the team is well versed in matters pertaining to cyber crime, insurtech and AI. Other key contacts include Till Liebau and Markus Rasner, both jointly head the transactional risk insurance team and regularly support W&I insurers in the underwriting of M&A risks, distressed M&A transactions as well as corporate law issues.
Referenzen
‘If you want fast, high-quality advice without sacrificing one or the other, the Oppenhoff team is your best choice.’
‘Till Liebau is incredibly fast, even when reviewing large volumes of documents without missing any details. He knows how important it is to combine input from DD’s legal and financial work areas to give his advice.’
‘Markus Rasner has an unparalleled knowledge of the W&I market, no matter which side he is on, be it as an advisor to the SPA parties or as an advisor to the insurers, and is always up to date with the latest developments.’
Kernmandanten
AnaCap Financial Partners
Brown & Brown, Inc
CFC Underwriting
Liberty Global Transaction Solutions
MRH Trowe Holding Gruppe
PKV Verband der Privaten Krankenversicherung e.V.
RiskPoint
Solarisbank AG
VALE Insurance Partners
Zürich Beteiligungs-Aktiengesellschaft
Highlight-Mandate
- Advising the industrial insurance broker MRH Trowe on the minority investment by the private equity investor TA Associates.
- Advising the PKV Association of Private Health Insurance eV on various IT and contract law matters as well as in the area of cooperation with research institutions and federal authorities.
- General advice on insurance supervision, money laundering and tax law for Zürich Beteiligungs-Aktiengesellschaft.
ADVANT Beiten
ADVANT Beiten supports German and European companies across the insurance and insurance distribution industry in claims procedures as well as corporate law, corporate governance and transactions. The competencies at the corporate and M&A interface were further strengthened with the arrival of Jan Eltzschig in February 2024 from Herbert Smith Freehills LLP. He jointly heads the practice with Florian Weichselgärtner (D&O, financial loss liability, fidelity liability, W&I insurance).
Referenzen
‘We are always extremely satisfied with Florian Weichselgärtner and his team. The collaboration is extremely professional, successful and fair.’
Kernmandanten
Allianz Versicherungs-AG
Segurio
Gothaer Konzern
Highlight-Mandate
Clifford Chance
Clifford Chance offers insurance-related expertise in sales, mergers and acquisitions as well as various capital markets issues. This is complemented by insurance supervisory know-how. These competencies are mirrored in the focus of practice head Thomas Krecek, who is experienced in advising on company acquisitions and sales, cross-border mergers, joint ventures and public takeovers across the insurance and financial services sectors.
Kernmandanten
Admiral Group
AXA IM
BNP Paribas
D&G
DWS Group
MEAG/Munich Re
Allianz Real Estate/PIMCO
SwissRe
KfW Capital
Universal Investment
Highlight-Mandate
- Advising the international financial services company Admiral Group plc on its proposed acquisition of Luko Cover, a leading online insurance broker.
- Advising a large German insurance group in connection with the implementation of the EU Digital Operational Resilience Act, in particular with regard to the resulting technical requirements and possible interfaces to contract management systems.
- Advising a large international insurance company on civil law issues, in particular contractual and general terms and conditions law, in connection with the conversion of the business model and the large-volume transfer of insurance policies to another insurer.
Gleiss Lutz
Gleiss Lutz routinely acts across the insurance sector and is experienced in supporting the formation of new insurance companies as well as transactions and restructurings. Other mainstays include the advice on regulatory requirements and crisis management pertaining to compliance violations. The team is jointly led by Tobias Harzenetter (compliance and insurance law) and Andreas Löhdefink (M&A support for financial institutions and insurance companies).
Referenzen
‘Tobias Harzenetter is outstanding.’
Kernmandanten
ADAC Versicherung AG
ERGO Group AG
Munich Re
Talanx AG
VKB VERSICHERUNGSKAMMER BAYERN
Highlight-Mandate
- Corporate law advice to ERGO Group AG on various corporate divisions, in particular several expert opinions on important strategic issues.
- Advising Munich Re on the 2024 Annual General Meeting.
- Advising Talanx AG on corporate and regulatory law.
Luther Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH
Luther Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH
is experienced in advising insurers on insurance supervisory and insurance contract law, the enforcement of claims as well as transaction support; the latter interface was strengthened in February 2024 with the addition of Marx Dauth from DLA Piper. The team is jointly led by Rolf Kobabe and Alexander Mönnig, who advise German and international insurance companies and brokers on all aspects of insurance supervisory and insurance contract law. Key contact Marco Arteaga specialises in company pension matters.
Kernmandanten
Assurant Deutschland GmbH
Verwaltungs-Berufsgenossenschaft (VBG)
R+V Lebensversicherung AG
SV SparkassenVersicherung Holding AG
Vertragswechselservice GmbH
Henkel KG Generalagentur
Highlight-Mandate
- Advising the Assurant Insurance Group on insurance product development and contract design with distribution partners.
- Advising Henkel-Vision Gesellschaft für Creatives Marketing mbH on the acquisition of 100% of the shares in inviniti AG. The buyer’s group of companies is one of the largest general agencies of Nürnberger Versicherung.
- Advising SV SparkassenVersicherung Holding AG on serial transactions in the area of claims management and restructuring.