Overview
Lars represents businesses, investors, and financial institutions in complex arbitrations, commercial litigation, and negotiations across multiple jurisdictions. His work centres on contentious issues arising from commercial contracts, M&A, shareholder conflicts, and insurance coverage.
He has acted in multibillion‑euro matters, spanning international arbitrations under major institutional rules and high-stakes litigation before German courts, including appellate and set-aside proceedings. He routinely directs parallel proceedings, jurisdictional challenges, and enforcement strategies.
Lars brings deep transactional experience to his contentious practice. Having advised on more than 100 live M&A deals, he understands the underlying mechanics of a transaction. With this dual perspective, he is able to identify pressure points early and present issues in commercial terms.
Private capital is a significant part of his practice. Lars advises sponsors and portfolio companies across the hold period on matters including W&I insurance claims, investment and shareholder agreement disputes, and D&O liability.
Experience
His recent experience includes:
- Advising financial sponsors and strategic investors on negotiating and enforcing W&I and contingent risk insurance policies; including representing LIXIL in arbitration and litigation against 20 W&I insurers in connection with the Grohe acquisition.
- Acting for Erste Abwicklungsanstalt (EAA) in billion-euro litigation concerning tax liabilities from WestLB cum-ex transactions; securing a successful defence before the Frankfurt Higher Regional Court, confirmed by denial of appeal.
- Representing a global financial institution in a post M&A dispute brought by the acquirer of a business unit, involving a contested data migration, complex reconciliation evidence, and quantum issues; coordinating forensic workstreams and experts, with related arbitration and set-aside proceedings running in parallel.
- Advising corporates and private equity firms on numerous complex post-M&A disputes, including litigation and arbitration over purchase price adjustments, warranty and indemnity claims, disclosure obligations, and expert determinations.
- Representing a leading Asian investment fund in complex shareholder disputes following its acquisition of a German technology company, including litigation up to the German Federal Court of Justice.
- Advising key shareholders in a complex governance dispute over an attempted external investor entry; securing binding court rulings and interim relief, including the exclusion of adverse shareholders and safeguarding client control.
- Representing the insolvency administrator of a German bank in complex litigation covering D&O liability claims against former management and professional liability actions against advisers; achieving settlements across multiple high-value claims.
Admissions