Deal & Transformation Management – Principal Consultant

• Business Development: Strategic and operational lead of the Business Development team in the Corporate / M&A practice area (business development for over 100 lawyers in 5 offices across Germany); plus international projects and initiatives, especially in collaboration with Taylor Wessing London

Project work, management, and leadership in national and international initiatives:

• Leading and participating in department- and firm-wide projects at both national and international levels, focusing on operational and strategic issues.

• Project to implement a data hub for efficient and secure use and international exchange of financial data between country entities.

• Project to strengthen relationships with M&A intermediaries, focusing on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as strategic partners in the transaction environment.

• Building and maintaining relationships with investment firms, in particular private equity firms, family offices, and corporate holdings focused on mid-sized companies.

• Project to acquire IPO mandates by screening private equity portfolios (large cap) and analyzing venture capital financing rounds in the German market.

• Initiative to identify publicly listed companies with the aim of uncovering cross-selling potentials in equity and capital markets law.

• Project to promote international knowledge sharing among corporate lawyers for professional development and standardization of practices.

• Building international relationships with investment banks as part of a cross-selling project to win mandates in the M&A environment.

• Analyzing strategic “lighthouse deals” for internal review and knowledge transfer within the firm.

• Preparing a report on gaming, cryptocurrencies, and M&A, including market and transaction analyses as well as legal implications.

Strategic development and business development in the Corporate / M&A area:

• Assuming extended responsibility for the further development of the business area, especially through strategic management of (sub-)projects in national and cross-border transactions, including coordination of work packages, deadline management, and interface communication between clients, advisors, and investors.

• Strategic identification and systematic building of long and short lists of potential acquisition targets (target screening), including evaluating financial performance, strategic fit, synergy potential, and readiness to transact.

• Creating pitch books, teasers, information memoranda, and management presentations tailored to the respective target group (e.g., investors, executive management, buyer side).

• Proactively reaching out and managing relationships with strategic and financial investors, maintaining existing networks and targeting potential prospects.

• Reviewing, adjusting, and negotiating confidentiality agreements (NDAs) to legally secure sensitive project information.

• Organizing and supporting due diligence processes, including preparing relevant documents, managing information flow, and assisting the client with any content-related questions.

• Analyzing and evaluating incoming indicative offers, especially considering financial, strategic, and legal aspects to prepare decision-making materials.

• Supporting the creation and review of transaction-related contract documents, especially in the context of share purchase agreements (SPA), in close coordination with legal advisors.

• Independently conducting comprehensive market, company, and competitor analyses as a basis for strategic decisions, investment cases, or client presentations.

• Building and continuously maintaining client relationships through structured communication, personal support, and developing individual solution proposals.

• Conducting company valuations using comparable company analysis and comparable transaction analysis to determine ranges for purchase price negotiations.

• Implementing and optimizing a CRM database to systematically structure M&A processes and make tracking business development activities more efficient.

• Regular use of professional databases such as Capital IQ, Markus, and virtual data rooms (e.g., Merrill, Firmex) for research, analysis, and managing transaction-related processes and project management.

• Coordinating and preparing research reports and market analyses, including competitor monitoring, company analyses, and industry trends.

• Organizing and participating in national and international business development events for mandate acquisition and network maintenance.

• Preparing and managing national and international reporting to support the strategic steering of business areas.

• Writing contributions for legal handbooks, rankings, and submissions, including coordinating content with different departments.

• Managing cooperation partners, such as international law firms, M&A intermediaries, and sponsorship partners.

• Advising business units on strategic and operational questions, for example in positioning strategies or proposal processes.

• Continuously monitoring market developments, identifying potential business opportunities, and developing concrete measures for business expansion.

• Creating and providing content for marketing and communication purposes, such as brochures, flyers, lawyer profiles, and website content.

• Coordinating target, business, and budget planning for the business areas in close cooperation with specialist and management levels.

• Participating in acquisition meetings and client presentations, including conceptual preparation.

• Designing and executing national and international B2B marketing campaigns in close alignment with internal stakeholders.

• Contributing to recruiting efforts, including conducting interviews, pre-screening candidates, and onboarding processes.

• Planning and delivering internal expert talks and training sessions to promote interdisciplinary knowledge sharing within the firm.

• Cross-border sell-side and buy-side transactions with an enterprise value between EUR 10 million and EUR 500 million in Asia, Europe, South America, and the USA; comprehensive support throughout the M&A process.

Buy-Side – support for the entire transaction process (buyer side):

• Preparing key process documents such as kick-off presentations, teasers for potential strategic and financial buyers, status reports for the outreach process, and short profiles of selected target companies.

• Identifying potential acquisition targets through structured long-list research and presenting the results in clear documentation.

• Independently approaching potential targets via email, phone, and in-person meetings to explore possible transaction interests.

• Participating in site visits with the target company's management to assess operational and strategic fit potentials.

• Assisting in various client meetings, including kick-off meetings, long-list workshops, and roadshow events to present target companies.

• Developing and applying valuation models, e.g., comparable company analysis and comparable transaction analysis, to determine price ranges for purchase negotiations.

• Structuring and drafting letters of intent (LOIs) as preparatory steps for the next transaction phase.

Sell-Side – support for the entire transaction process (seller side):

• Executing sell-side mandates (for strategic and financial clients), maintaining close client interaction throughout all phases of the M&A process.

• Creating concise project teasers for targeted outreach to potential buyers.

• Developing long and short lists of potential strategic and financial buyers, including analysis and presentation in slides.

• Financial modeling based on integrated planning calculations, including focus on working capital and cash flow forecasts; performing financial analyses and net debt calculations.

• Writing comprehensive information memoranda and organizing and conducting Q&A sessions with interested buyers.

• Evaluating and comparing incoming indicative offers, including qualitative assessment and strategic classification.

• Preparing management presentations and organizing site visits for potential targets.

• Coordinating the due diligence process, including data room management, Q&A rounds, and communication with external advisors (lawyers, banks, financial advisors).

• Preparing presentations for corporate bodies, status updates on the transaction process, and analyses of binding bids received.

Business Development – support in mandate acquisition:

• Actively contributing to acquiring new mandates, including participating in client meetings with the sector lead.

• Maintaining existing client relationships and building new business contacts through targeted communication and personalized outreach.

• Conducting market and industry analyses to support business development, particularly in mechanical engineering, plant engineering, and food and pharmaceutical machinery industries.

• Designing and preparing pitch materials to present the service portfolio during client meetings.

• Performing research and creating presentations and supporting marketing materials for company and project introductions.

• Cold calling to schedule initial meetings for company presentations and showcasing the M&A service portfolio.

• Participating in building a new business unit in mechanical engineering together with the responsible sector lead.