Laurenz Tholen
Rechtsanwalt (Lawyer), Partner
Laurenz Tholen is co-head of Noerr’s M&A practice group. He is an expert for complex M&A transactions and private equity investments. Laurenz Tholen regularly takes a leading role in advising national and international clients on the structuring and implementation of cross-border projects. He also has extensive experience of advising on corporate reorganisations, carve-outs and joint ventures.
Projects
- ANI Pharmaceuticals: Advising on the acquisition of Alimera Sciences (transaction value USD 381m) (2024)
- Jimdo: Advising on the repurchase of all shares held by its investors Spectrum Equity and Global Founders Capital (2024)
- DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga: Advising the German professional football league association on the planned marketing partnership with a strategic partner (2023/2024)
- Hertha BSC: Advising on the strategic partnership with 777 Partners (2023)
- Straumann: Advising on the acquisition of PlusDental (transaction value CHF 135m) (2022)
- Bregal: Advising on the acquisition of a majority stake in Theobald Software (2022)
- GardaWorld: Advising on the takeover of Gunnebo Group’s cash management business (2022)
- VGL Group: Advising on the sale of VGL Group (vergleich.org) to CentralNic (2022)
- GardaWorld: Advising on the acquisition of the EXOP Group (2021)
- Zyto Group: Advising on the sale of Zyto Group to French private equity investor ArchiMed (2021)
- Rocket Internet: Advising Rocket Internet on its public delisting tender offer (transaction value EUR 1.5bn) (2020)
- DrSmile: Advising on the sale of DrSmile to the Swiss Straumann group (2020)
- Hertha BSC: Advising the football club on the investment by Tennor (transaction value EUR 374m) (2019/2020)
- AURELIUS: Advising on the acquisition of the business divisions Renewable Power Systems and Protection Relays from NASDAQ-listed Woodward, Inc. (2020)
- KACO new energy: Advising on the sale of KACO new energy to Siemens (2019)
- Linio: Advising on the sale of Latin America’s leading e-commerce platform Linio to the major listed Chilean Falabella Group (transaction value USD 138m) (2018)
- ebuero AG: Advising the shareholders of ebuero AG on the investment by Bregal (2018)
- Daraz: Advising on the sale of Daraz to Alibaba (2018)
- Lazada: Advising JPMorgan, Summit Partners, Rocket Internet, Kinnevik and other investors on the sale of Lazada to Alibaba (USD 3.15bn valuation) (2016/2017)
- AURELIUS: Advising on the sale of the SECOP Group to the major listed Japanese Nidec Group (transaction value EUR 185m) (2017)
- Bridgepoint: Advising on the sale of Spiele Max to Palero (2017))
- foodpanda: Advising on the acquisition by Delivery Hero (2016)
- Rocket Internet: Advising on a EUR 330m financing round of Global Fashion Group (2016)
- Lazada: Advising on the reorganisation of Southeast Asia’s leading online shopping portal (2015)
- Global Fashion Group: Advising on the formation of the Global Fashion Group by Kinnevik, Rocket Internet, Access Industries, Tengelmann, Summit Partners and other investors (transaction value EUR 2.8bn) (2014/2015)
Distinctions
- Legal 500: Recommended for M&A and Private Equity, 2024
- Received a 2021 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Germany recognition for Mergers & Acquisitions
- “M&A Deal of the Year: Southeast Asia” at the Asia Legal Awards for the sale of Lazada to Alibaba (2017)
Insights
Career
Studied law at the University of Freiburg im Breisgau and at the Universidad de Oviedo (Spain)
Received doctorate from the University of Freiburg im Breisgau (Germany)
Visiting Attorney at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz (New York)
At Noerr since 2014
Admitted to the Berlin Chamber of Lawyers
Publications
- Formfragen bei Finanzierungsrunden in der GmbH, GmbH-Rundschau (GmbHR) 2016, p. 915 et seq.
- Zum Siegeszug des insolvenzrechtlichen Freigabeverfahrens (with Christian Pleister), Zeitschrift für Wirtschaftsrecht (ZIP) 9/2015, p. 414 et seq.
- Europäisches Konzernrecht – Eine Untersuchung auf der Grundlage eines Vergleichs des deutschen und englischen Rechts, Duncker & Humblot 2014 (doctoral thesis); see review by Teichmann in RabelsZ 81/2 (2017), p. 465 et seq.
- Zur Kompetenz des Schuldners zur Begründung von Masseverbindlichkeiten im vorläufigen Eigenverwaltungsverfahren (with Christian Pleister), Zeitschrift für Wirtschaftsrecht (ZIP) 11/2013, p. 526 et seq.