MASTER OF LAWS IN GLOBAL BUSINESS LAW (LL.M.)

As I have experienced different perspectives by working in different countries (Germany, India, US, UK, Nordics) in different times of economic growth (before and after the banking crisis) as lecturer, advisor, lawyer and in-house counsel as well as in my function as Member of the Management Board of a German Stock Corporation, my lecture Banking Law in the European Union will not just be a legal lecture but will be interdisciplinary. The lecture will give you insights into both law and business/economical aspects. This will enable you not just to understand the legal framework but also the economical aspects and effects that legislation and regulatory requirements can have on the market.

While I have never been tempted by an academic career, I have always enjoyed teaching. The interaction with students and the need to explain how capital market transactions occur forces me to separate strict legal requirements from optional market practices. Reminding myself of the legal principles and the interests of the parties underlying transaction structures and documentation requirements is always a welcome exercise. I enjoy helping students connect the dots between the financing needs, the accounting implications, and the legal prerequisites which all flow into structuring a successful transaction. I usually feel that I have learned as much as my students at the end of a lecture.

‘The real work starts only when the deal is closed’. The first six to ten months of the post-merger integration phase is the key stage where decisions on the future wealth of the relevant target are made. Things can go very wrong in case the integration process is managed badly. The lecture sets out the relevant steps and potential pitfalls of any post-merger integration phase and provides a deep dive into the restructuring process. My lecture Post-Merger Integration and Restructuring Process will be based on theoretical elements to provide profound knowledge on the key legal aspects but will always reference to leading examples and example cases of a practitioner being engaged into post-merger integration and restructuring processes. The lecture will be a well-balanced mix of theoretical knowledge to understand the key drivers of the entire topic and a profound recollection of the knowledge gained and required as a leading practitioner in such area.

In the light of almost 30 years of professional expertise as an antitrust lawyer with broad knowledge gained in numerous proceedings with the EU Commission, the German Federal Cartel Office and other antitrust authorities, paired with my lecturer activities at the University of Münster and countless external and internal presentations on antitrust topics, I have reason to believe that I am able to provide an interesting package of academic basics and practical insights in relation to antitrust law.

EBS Universität is from my perspective the most practically oriented law school in Germany. Moreover, it brings together students from all over the globe representing different legal cultures. Arbitration is a method of dispute resolution designed to resolve complex cross-border disputes in an efficient, flexible and practical manner, often bridging the gap between common law and civil law jurisdictions. I am thrilled to be able to train a group of diverse and motivated lawyers in this method of dispute resolution, which according to some is freedom, reconciled with law.

M&A is a fascinating subject matter, both from a legal and a commercial perspective. I had the privilege of advising M&A transactions for almost 30 years and I bring a wealth of experience to the table which I am enthusiastic to share and discuss with students from all over the world.

I have always enjoyed working with students. What I missed during my own academic career, however, was exposure to practical questions, and the practical handling of specific situations that frequently occur in “real life”. With now more than 20 years of exposure to practicing law, I want to fill this gap.

The seminar International Securities Trading offers the unique opportunity to have a look at a truly international and multi-faceted topic, which touches a wide range of legal areas, such as civil law, company law, international private law, and insolvency law as well as on regulatory issues such as investor protection.