Hubertus Leo, LL.M. – Portraitfoto

Hubertus Leo, LL.M. (McGeorge)
Partner

T +49 40 3008510-31
F +49 40 3008510-99
M +49 172 996 9395
E h.leo@lswf.de

M&A
Corporate

Hubertus Leo is a transaction lawyer. His focus lies on medium-sized transactions for strategic or financial investors. He also has broad experience with private equity portfolio investments and de-vestments, management buy-outs, venture capital investments, and joint ventures. Furthermore, Hubertus advises companies of all sizes – from start-ups to small or medium-sized companies (SMEs) and family-owned businesses to listed corporations – on all aspects of corporate law including succession issues. In addition, Hubertus often acts as an arbitrator in corporate disputes.

Vita

Partner with Leo Schmidt-Hollburg Witte & Frank (2013 to date) and Löhde Leo Schmidt-Hollburg & Witte (1999 to 2013)

Associate and junior partner with Luther & Partner, Hamburg (1996 to 1999)

Foreign attorney with Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy, New York (1994)

Associate with Bruckhaus Westrick Stegemann (now: Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer), Hamburg (1991 to 1996)

Legal traineeship (Referendariat) in Berlin and New York (2nd State Examination, 1991)

Studies in Munich (law, 1983-1988), Paris (Sorbonne University 1985/86), and at McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, California (Master of Laws in Transnational Business Practice, 1994)

Military service with German army (1981-1983), reserve officer

Recommendations

Juve: Recommended lawyer for M&A (2005 to date), recommended lawyer for Corporate (2000 to date), recommended lawyer for Private Equity & Venture Capital (2000 to 2010). Best Lawyers®: Corporate Law Germany (2014 to date, „Lawyer of the Year“ 2023 for Corporate Law in Hamburg), M&A Germany (2015 to date), Venture Capital Germany (2018 to date). Wirtschaftswoche: Top Lawyer Corporate (2019 to date) and M&A (2021, 2023); Leaders League: Recommended for small and mid-sized M&A in Germany (2023 to date).

„Excellent, forward-thinking and very experienced deal lawyer“ (competitor, JUVE 2018)
„Cool M&A lawyer“ (competitor, JUVE 2017)
„Experienced and pragmatic in corporate, M&A and corporate litigation“ (competitor, JUVE 2016)
„Tactically clever and foresighted“ (client, JUVE 2011)

Select Transactions

  • Earlybird Venture Capital and UVC Partners on the acquisition of shares and share options in Lilium N.V.
  • ZERTUS GmbH on acquisition of a 50% interest in WELL PLUS TRADE group
  • Oysterbay Venture Capital on seed financing of GoodBytz GmbH
  • ZERTUS GmbH on acquisition of a majority interest in Lotao GmbH
  • FMS Friedrich Meyer’s Sohn on the acquisition of Evertracker software and other assets
  • Stokke AS on the acquisition of LIMAS GmbH
  • Berendsohn AG on sale of its activities in Poland
  • Madsack group on the acquisition of a majority interest in publishing group Kieler Nachrichten
  • Founder and minority shareholder of Gehalt.de GmbH on sale to StepStone
  • Management of FFG FINANZCHECK Finanzportale GmbH in connection with sale of the company to smava GmbH
  • VIVUM Corporate Real Estate on exit from real estate development project in Berlin
  • Industriebedarf Niemann-Laes GmbH on acquisition of majority stake in competitor
  • Shareholder of PMSG PersonalMarkt Services (gehalt.de) on the partial sale to, and shareholders agreement with, StepStone
  • Oyster Bay Venture Capital on a financing round
  • All shareholders of FFG FINANZCHECK Finanzportale GmbH on a limited auction and the sale to Scout24 AG
  • ZERTUS GmbH on the sale of Löser Waffelfabrik to Storck group
  • Swedish Match AB (publ.) on the exit from Arnold André GmbH & Co. KG
  • Norwegian investment bank Pareto Securities AS on a joint venture with Ernst Russ AG
  • Spudy Invest GmbH on a financing round for medical technology company ROWIAK
  • ZERTUS GmbH on the acquisition of Bio-Zentrale Naturprodukte GmbH from Lindhorst group
  • Spudy Invest GmbH on the indirect acquisition of ICR from UBS Deutschland AG
  • Max Schön GmbH, a Sanistål group company, on the divestiture of HEPA Wälzlager GmbH & Co. KG
  • Tchibo GmbH on the sale of Tchibo Energy GmbH to Lichtblick SE
  • Management in the tertiary buyout of Polytech-Domilens by Stirling Square Capital Partners
  • Ebro Foods GmbH on the sale of German pasta business (Birkel, 3Glocken) to Italian/Swiss Newlat Group
  • Management in the secondary buyout of Domilens by Odewald KMU
  • Ebro Foods GmbH on the MBO of subsidiary Möwe Teigwarenfabrik GmbH
  • Management in the buyout of BJC Best Job Consulting GmbH by Capiton AG
  • VIVUM Corporate Real Estate on the structuring of its investment funds, on the acquisition of numerous portfolio assets, and on various exits
  • Capital Stage AG on the sale of 49 % interest in solar plant company to Google
  • Capital Stage AG on the sale of portfolio company GBA to Adiuva Capital
  • Management in the buyout of cadooz AG by Palamon Capital Partners
  • Capital Stage AG on the acquisition of a minority interest in solar cell producer Inventux Technologies AG
  • Shareholders of Boomerang Medien AG on the merger with Edgar Medien AG
  • ZERTUS GmbH on the sale of wholly-owned subsidiary Theodor Kattus to Fuchs Gewürze group
  • Granville Baird fund on the exit of Florida based portfolio company Apptimum to Microsoft
  • Sulo, a portfolio company of private equity investors Apax and Blackstone, on the acquisition of Cleanaway from Australian conglomerate Brambles
  • Apollo Management fund on the merger of cable TV operators Unity Media and Iesy with Telecolumbus (held by BC Partners)
  • ZERTUS GmbH on the acquisition of Dextro Energy from Unilever
  • Management in the buyout of Miles International by MPC and Hannover Finanz
  • ZERTUS GmbH on the acquisition of Pulmoll from Royal Numico
  • Granville Baird fund on the acquisition of Hahl Group
  • Management on the secondary buyout of Phoenix Xtra Print GmbH by BPE
  • G+J Multimedia Ventures GmbH on the acquisition of handy.de
  • Liberty Media on an attempted acquisition of TV cable operator Telecolumbus group
  • Granville Baird fund on the acquisition of mobile.de
  • ZERTUS GmbH on the acquisition of Kattus from Campbell’s
  • Wünsche AG on the acquisition of JOOP! GmbH and Cinque
  • Tele Danmark on the acquisition of Talkline Group

Select Publications

For select publications, see the German version of this profile.

Languages

German

English

French

Member

IBA, German American Lawyers‘ Association (GALA).