Laurenz Tholen
Rechtsanwalt (Lawyer), Partner
Private Equity
Mergers & Acquisitions

Laurenz Tholen is partner in our Berlin office specialising in complex private equity and M&A transactions as well as restructurings. He regularly advises national and international financial and strategic investors on cross-border transactions, especially in the fields of technology, industry, retail, internet and entertainment.
Projects
- 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)
- Dessauer Schaltschrank- und Gehäusetechnik: Advising on the sale to listed INDUS Holding AG (2019)
- 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)
- Zalando: Advising on the acquisition of the Bread & Butter fashion fair (2015)
- 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)
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.
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
Distinctions
- 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)