Clifford Chance 's German restructuring team acts integrated into the international network of the firm's global restructuring, distressed M&A and litigation practices and offers longstanding expertise in cross-border contentious and non-contentious restructuring proceedings and is regularly instructed by banks, financiers, funds and companies. Practice head Stefan Sax focuses on cross-border financial restructurings and insolvencies. In June 2024, Patrick Schulz and Andreas Steiger  joined the team from Sidley Austin LLP, followed by their former practice head Kolja von Bismarck in September 2024; all three focus on cross-border transactions and frequently assist with complex capital structures. Associate Diana Schoch is another key contact and advises banks, financial investors, companies and insolvency administrators on various restructuring projects.

Dentons ' restructuring practice has particular expertise in the structuring of hybrid trusteeships and other creditor-led restructuring solutions using a restructuring company, as well as matters pertaining to bond and promissory note creditors and distressed M&A. The team is co-led by Arne Friel and Andreas Ziegenhagen; Friel is well versed in cross-border distressed transactions, while Ziegenhagen acts as European Head of the Restructuring Practice Group and focuses on restructuring via trusteeships; the latter is also experienced  in representing bond creditors and regularly advises on promissory note loans.

Hengeler Mueller's restructuring expertise covers cross-border financial restructuring, distressed M&A matters, stabilisation measures as well as restructuring and insolvency disputes; among the client roster are debtor companies, creditors, debt and equity investors and insolvency administrators. The team is jointly led by financial restructuring and distressed M&A experts Martin Tasma and Johannes Tieves; the latter is also experienced in syndicated loans, takeover and hybrid financing as well as promissory notes and high-yield bonds.

Latham & Watkins LLP's Restructuring & Special Situations practice offers longstanding expertise in financial and operational restructuring, including cross-border restructuring, as well as in insolvency matters and distressed M&A. Practice head Frank Grell also focuses on financial and operational restructuring and complements this with expertise in insolvency-related litigation and refinancing, which is regularly called upon by debtors, creditors and insolvency administrators. In May 2024, the restructuring experts Jörn Kowalewski, Ulrich Klockenbrink and counsel Hendrik Hauke ​​moved to Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP.

Linklaters‘ restructuring and insolvency practice demonstrates expertise in financial and operational restructuring as well as reorganisation and regularly advises on carve-outs and StaRUG-related proceedings. In addition to creditors, the team increasingly advises shareholders and companies from various sectors, most recently banks, energy companies, automotive manufacturers and real estate companies. Ever since former co-head Sven Schelo (restructuring of banks and financial institutions) moved to DLA Piper in June 2024, Sabine Vorwerk has acted as sole practice head; she advises creditors on crisis and insolvency matters as well as restructuring, including distressed M&A. Riaz Janjuah joined the team from White & Case LLP in September 2024, he is experienced in the shipping industry.

White & Case LLP boasts longstanding expertise in financial restructuring, particularly in a cross-border context, and is also assists with insolvency, restructuring and StaRUG-related proceedings. The practice is regularly instructed by clients from the automotive, real estate, retail and energy sectors, and also acts for banks, private debt funds and companies from the shipping industry. Sven-Holger Undritz focuses on restructuring and reorganisation proceedings in the maritime industry; Undritz currently acts as sole practice head since former co-head Riaz Janjuah (restructuring in the shipping industry) moved to Linklaters in September 2024.

act legal's expertise covers operational and financial restructuring, including employment law-related restructings, refinancing, waiver solutions, distressed M&A as well as restructuring measures pertaining to trusteeships and investors. The practice is jointly led by Sven Tischendorf, who frequently takes the lead in restructuring and self-administration proceedings, Matthias Müller, whose focuses on crisis and restructuring situations as well as insolvency law, and Alexander Höpfner, who is experienced in self-administration and protective shield proceedings.

Hogan Lovells International LLP is regularly instructed by companies and investors on cross-border financial and operational restructuring, distressed M&A and also represents creditors in the enforcement of claims and securities in pre-insolvency situations as well as insolvency proceedings. Practice head Heiko Tschauner focuses on financial restructuring and also covers interfacing  insolvency matters; he is a key contact for distressed investments and regularly acts on behalf of investors. Tschauner offers additional restructuring expertise in the automotive sector, while Christian Herweg is well versed in restructuring and insolvency law and regularly advises national and international financial institutions.

McDermott Will & Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP regularly advises on restructuring, distressed M&A and insolvency law issues as well as interfacing financing matters. The latter area was strengthened in November 2023 with Matthias Weissinger, who joined from Ashurst LLP; he is also experienced in advising banks as well as national and international financial institutions. The team is well versed in the automotive and retail sectors and advises companies, creditors and shareholders in crisis situations and in in and out-of-court restructurings. Uwe Goetker (corporate, insolvency and restructuring law, M&A) and Matthias Kampshoff (self-administration and protective shield proceedings as well as distressed transactions) jointly head the practice. Björn Biehl left the firm for Greenberg Traurig Germany, LLP in February 2025.

Milbank cooperates closely with the credit and capital markets practices and demonstrates particular expertise in (cross-border) financial in and out-of court restructuring; this offering is regularly drawn on by creditors, including banks, as well as distressed debt investors, debtors, shareholders and sponsors. These competencies correspond with the focus of both practice leaders, Mathias Eisen and Marlene Ruf, who regularly advise on distressed M&A, StaRUG-related proceedings and debt equity swaps. Ruf joined the practice in April 2024 from Kirkland & Ellis International LLP.

Norton Rose Fulbright is experienced in advising companies from the automotive, real estate and healthcare sectors on national and cross-border financial restructuring and increasingly supports creditors and creditors' committees. Other mainstays include the advice on reorganisation, distressed transactions and interfacing insolvency law matters; here, Sylwia Maria Bea-Pulverich is a key contact, she also covers issues at the interface with corporate law. Bea-Pulverich jointly heads the practice with Oliver Sutter, who routinely advises banks, sponsors and companies on recapitalisation and financial restructuring.

DLA Piper is experienced in advising debtors, creditors, credit institutions, investors and insolvency administrators. The team covers operational and financial restructuring, including cross-border matters, distressed M&A as well as StaRUG-related and insolvency plan proceedings. Co-Chair of the global restructuring practice Dietmar Schulz also heads the German team and routinely advises on cross-border issues. In addition to operational and financial restructuring advice, he also focuses on NPLs and distressed M&A.

Greenberg Traurig Germany impresses with its expertise in the real estate sector and also recently increasingly advised across the e-commerce and automotive sectors. In addition to the regular cooperation with the real estate team, the practice also jointly acts with the firm’s finance experts in financial restructuring and joins forces with the corporate and M&A practice in the course of distressed M&A matters. Creditors, debtors and investors are routinely advised on restructuring and interfacing insolvency law issues. Practice head Gordon Geiser regularly acts as an insolvency administrator and advises on the development and implementation of reorganisation measures in connection with self-administration. The practice was further strengthened in February 2025 with the addition of restructuring expert Björn Biehl from McDermott Will & Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP.

Grub Brugger's restructuring practice comprehensively advises companies, banks, shareholders and financial investors on all aspects of reorganisation and restructuring, including the support in financial and operational restructuring, StaRUG-related proceedings and distressed transactions. These competencies correspond with the focus of practice head Volker Muschalle (transactions, liability issues, trusteeships), Michael Vilgertshofer (defense against liability claims, distressed M&A) and Hans Schenk (distressed M&A). Richard Scholz (insolvency and corporate law issues, D&O) is also part of the core team.

GSK Stockmann is particularly well versed in the real estate industry, where the team is regularly instructed by the insolvency administrators of real estate corporations as well as real estate companies and banks. Key competencies include the advice on financial and operational restructuring, including StaRUG-related matters, the implementation of reorganisation measures and distressed M&A. Andreas Dimmling complements this with restructuring expertise in the fund sector. He jointly heads the practice with Raoul Kreide, who focuses on StaRUG-related matters pertaining to the real estate sector as well as advising family companies in crisis.

Simmons & Simmons' restructuring team acts integrated into the financial markets and derivatives practice and is particularly well versed in financial restructuring, including distressed investments. Lenders, creditors, debtors, governing bodies and investors regularly instruct the team on corporate restructurings, insolvency application filings and out-of-insolvency reorganisation measures; a recent industry focus was on the real estate, mechanical engineering, media and telecoms sectors. Christopher Kranz (finance, restructuring, insolvency and corporate law) heads the team.

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP supports debtors, creditors, shareholders and investors on financial restructuring, distressed transactions as well as reorganisation and insolvency proceedings. The practice is jointly led by restructuring experts Gerhard Schmidt and Britta Grauke, who complement these competencies with expertise in insolvency dispute resolution.

Anchor Rechtsanwälte acts at the interface with insolvency law and advises family companies, financial investors, insolvency administrators and trustees on trusteeships, the implementation of reorganisation measures and distressed transactions. The core team includes Alexander Reus, Christoph Herbst and Florian Harig, who advise on restructuring and preventive restructuring issues, trusteeships, distressed M&A transactions and liquidations.

Baker McKenzie is experienced in advising on financial restructuring and refinancing across the automotive, retail and real estate sectors, as well as on distressed transactions and other interfacing insolvency law matters. The team primarily acts on behalf of companies but also increasingly advises banks, debt funds and insolvency administrators. Practice head Joachim Ponseck is particularly well versed in insolvency litigation.

BRL BOEGE ROHDE LUEBBEHUESEN 's insolvency and restructuring team advises on distressed M&A, financial restructuring as well as insolvency law issues, with a particular focus on hospital insolvencies and restructurings; the team is additionally well versed in the renewable energy, trade and aviation industries. The two practice heads Stefan Denkhaus (insolvency and self-administration) and Dominik Demisch, as well as Victor von dem Bussche and Björn Schwencke boast similar competencies; the latter two joined the partner roster in early 2024.

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner follows a cross-locational approach and advises creditors and debtors on various reorganisation, insolvency and restructuring matters. The team is particularly well versed in the real estate sector, where clients are supported in distressed real estate financing and financial restructuring. These capacities correspond with the focus of practice head Mike Danielewsky, who advises on restructuring and reorganisation matters pertaining to both in and out-of court insolvency proceedings.

Led by Frank Tschentscher, the practice at Deloitte Legal Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH advises international financial creditors, banking consortia as well as debtors and insolvency administrators on reorganisation and insolvency issues, including distressed transactions, as well as on operational and financial restructuring. The team is also experienced in the in and out-of court enforcement of insolvency contestation and liability claims.