CMS‘s venture capital team advises start-ups and company founders on the entire VC value chain, including founding, financing rounds and venture debt, late-stage venture capital and growth capital transactions as well as exits. Investors also instruct the practice on investments and buy & build matters. The diverse team covers all sectors, with a recent focus on the life sciences, healthcare, technology, digitisation, energy and sustainability segments. The team is jointly led by Stefan-Ulrich Müller (sector focus on biotechnology, medical technology, software and e-commerce) and Jörg Zätzsch,who frequently advises on exits. Florian Plagemann made partner in January 2023 and advises companies on M&A transactions and start-up financing rounds; counsel Friedrich von Spee regularly advises start-ups.

Noerr‘s cross-practice approach draws on relevant regulatory, digital business, data protection and tax law expertise in the comprehensive advice to investors, companies and start-ups on venture capital matters, including early-stage financing as well as exit and capital market law issues. The transaction support is a particular strength, where the team frequently cooperates with the locations in New York and London on cross-border matters. This is complemented by expertise in corporate venture capital advice thanks to the firm’s overall focus on medium-sized business suppport. The team is led by Christian Pleister (investments, transactions) and Georg Christoph Schneider (transactions, investments, restructurings).

Osborne Clarke is among the leading venture capital practices in Germany and offers German and international investors, founders and companies, a cross-practice and cross-location approach covering later-stage financing rounds and growth financing as well as transactions, joint ventures and exits. Robin Eyben is a key contact for the M&A interface, where he regularly advises technology and transformation-driven investors, founders and companies. He is part of the team led by Nicolas Gabrysch, which also includes Maximilian Vocke (venture capital and corporate law), who made partner in January 2023. Gabrysch is well versed in cross-border matters and focuses on Europe and particularly the US, where he oversees German activities at the firm’s New York location.

Taylor Wessing comprehensively advises investors, venture capital funds and companies on early stage and large-volume financing rounds as well as exits. Clients benefit from the close cooperation with the M&A team as well as a US law firm in transactions in the technology and life sciences sector. The team has further industry expertise in the digital healthcare, fintech, foodtech, cleantech and spacetech segments. Jens Wolf primarily acts on behalf of PE funds, VC investors and technology-oriented companies; Wolf is well versed at the interface between VC and M&A and jointly heads the practice with Norman Röchert, who is experienced in capital markets law, VC and M&A.  Armin Bartsch (financing rounds, exits/buy-outs as well as advice on setting up and expanding digital business models) joined the team as a salary partner in October 2022; he was previously at Noerr.

Vogel Heerma Waitz specialises in growth capital and focuses on the technology sector, where the team closely cooperates with the IP and technology team led by Jan Heerma. In this context, the team advises investors on shares and investments as well as start-ups on financing rounds. A recent growth area is the support in M&A transactions as part of buy-and-build strategies; Olga Balandina-Luke is a key contacts for this. The core team also includes Frank Vogel (focus on growth and venture capital, company acquisitions and sales) and Clemens Waitz (focus on technology companies).

YPOG is experienced in equity and debt financing rounds, co-investments, transactions and fund structuring. This expertise is requested by a similarly diverse client base, including national and international investors and funds, management teams, corporations as well as scale-ups and start-ups. These primarily from the mobility, insurtech, proptech, digital health and fintech sectors as well as other regulated industries. Particularly noteworthy is the expansion of the corporate venture practice, thanks to the expansion of existing or the establishment of new client relationships with well known corporates. The group is led by Martin Schaper, who comprehensively advises on VC and M&A matters and also covers the corporate law interface. Benjamin Ullrich is well versed in transactions, while the financial regulatory capacities were strengthened with the addition of Carsten Lösing from White & Case LLP in December 2022. Adrian Haase is a key contact for growth-oriented companies in the Hamburg area; he made partner in December 2023.

Hogan Lovells International LLP supports venture capital funds, corporate venture capitalists and start-ups in financing, transactions and exits, where the team acts in cross-practice and cross-location cooperation; the team also advises on the internationalisation of companies, buy-and-build strategies as well as asset-based lending financing. Jörg Herwig leads the practice since July 2023 and has replaced transaction expert Matthias Jaletzke, who remains on the team. Herwig also coordinates the China desk and covers the interface between VC, PE and M&A. He is supported by Thiemo Woertge, who supports transactions and venture capital financing and handles matters at the IP interface.

LUTZ | ABEL RECHTSANWALTS PARTG MBB primarily advises investors and start-ups on all relevant areas, including financing, exits, as well as ongoing advice; this leads to frequent cooperation with the employment law, IP, IT and commercial teams. Recently, the team increasingly assisted with venture capital financing rounds as well as venture capital-related M&A matters; Marco Eickmann is key contact for investments in financing rounds, while practice head Bernhard Noreisch also supports VC investors in exit and M&A transactions. Sebastian Sumalvico, who is particularly experienced in venture debt, was appointed to salary partner in January 2023.

The team at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP around practice head and transaction expert Sven Greulich is regularly instructed by investors, start-ups and technology companies across the entire value chain of VC matters, such as early financing rounds and US flips as well as other financing instruments, cooperation agreements and exits, including IPOs. He is supported in this by senior associate Michael Gläsner, who joined the team from Raue in April 2023; he advises start-ups and investors on financing rounds and also covers various corporate law issues. Thomas Schmid (VC, PE, M&A, capital markets and corporate law) moved to SNP Schlawien Partnerschaft MBB in January 2023.

POELLATH's client portfolio consists of venture capital companies, funds, institutional and strategic investors, growth companies and business angels, which are supported in financing rounds, exit transactions and related tax planning. The team frequently acts at the interface with corporate and PE, including the structuring of PE and VC funds and the subsequent transactional advice as well as advising corporates on the implementation of their digitisation strategies by setting up corporate venture units. The team is experienced in the fintech, insurtech, e-commerce, mobility, healthcare and medtech, Internet, biotech, nanotechnology and telecoms sector. Practice heads Michael Inhester and Christian Tönies are both well versed in VC matters. They are supported by Sebastian Gerlinger (VC, PE, M&A), who made partner in January 2023, and senior associate Markus Döllner (VC, PE, M&A). In March 2023, Katja Weberpals (start-up financing, venture debt, exits, secondaries and employee participations) moved to BRL BOEGE ROHDE LUEBBEHUESEN.

NEON supports founders, start-ups, funds and investors on the entire life cycle of VC matters, including financing rounds and investments as well as topics at the interface between VC and corporate law and financing via convertible loan agreements. This expertise also corresponds with the practice management: Bastian Reinschmidt and Alexander Wulff regularly support financing rounds and M&A transactions, while Reinschmidt is a key contact for VC-related corporate issues, including litigation. Sebastian Krieg made salary partner in January 2023 and specialises in tax structuring in connection with VC transactions. Patrick Auerbach handles notarial issues and Maximilian Frink is a key  contact at associate level.

Thanks to cross-practice and cross-location cooperation, Jones Day supports investors, start-ups and companies in financing rounds, investments and cross-border transactions, with particular expertise in new areas such as high-tech, Internet, fintech, medtech, the environment and renewable energies. Transaction support is a key strength of Ansgar Rempp (VC and PE), while Stefan Schneider and Ivo Posluschny are key contacts for financing rounds and investments; they are also experienced in transactions.

Raue supports start-ups and investors, including venture capital funds, in financing rounds in the energy, automotive and healthcare sectors. The transaction support in the healthcare sector was recently strengthened with the addition of Nadine Hartung in March 2023, previously at McDermott Will & Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP.  Andreas Nelle (PE, VC, M&A) heads the team, which routinely cooperates with the regulatory, employment law, corporate and energy experts. In September 2022, Michael Gläsner (financing rounds for start-ups) moved to Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP.

Bird & Bird focuses on technology-related matters and regularly supports investments in companies, including start-ups with a digitisation focus. The team also advises investors and is led by Hans Peter Leube, who complements the industry expertise with experience in the telecoms, media, infrastructure and automotive sectors.

GÖRG Partnerschaft von Rechtsanwälten mbB recently strengthened its fintech, corporate and capital markets law capacities with the addition of Tobias Riethmüller in May 2023; and the arrival of Markus Söhnchen in August 2023 expanded its expertise in PE, VC and corporate law; both were previously at GSK Stockmann. Practice head Bernt Paudtke and his team support investors, companies and start-ups (especially from the Berlin area) in financing rounds, due diligence and exit matters. A focus here is on the technology and energy sectors. Christopher Wright (M&A and corporate law) moved to Zenk Rechtsanwälte in March 2023.

Greenberg Traurig Germany supports buy-outs, equity investments, growth investments, financing rounds, restructurings and exits in close cooperation with various other locations. The practice assists founders and investors, particularly in technology-driven areas such as medtech, biotech, software, IT and automotive. The two transaction specialists Henrik Armah and Peter Schorling lead the practice.

GSK Stockmann is experienced in the technology sector and supports investors, companies and start-ups in financing rounds, transactions and exits. The team frequently cooperates with the locations in Luxembourg and London on cross-border matters. The practice is led by Katy Ritzmann (focus on the digital, tech, high-tech and insurtech industries) and Thomas Derlin (IT, Internet, mobility and technology). Counsel Dennis Gehnen focuses on transactions in the mobility, digital, tech and insurtech industries. In July 2023, Markus Söhnchen (PE, VC, corporate) joined GÖRG Partnerschaft von Rechtsanwälten mbB, while Andreas Bauer (transactions and corporate) left the firm and founded his own law firm in December 2022.

Hengeler Mueller advises investors with combined expertise in VC and PE, particularly on financing rounds and transactions, where the team regularly draws on other practice's experience such as regulatory, finance and restructuring. The sector focus is on regulated industries, including fintech, healthcare, insurance and energy. The partner roster was strenthened in January 2023 with the appointments of Oda Christiane Goetzke (financing structures, capital markets, corporate law) and Maike Hölty (growth capital, private equity investments).

Lambsdorff Rechtsanwälte primarily advises investors as well as German and international companies from the technology sector, where the practice closely cooperates with the IT team. The support covers the entire value chain, including founding, financing as well as exits. Practice head Pablo Rüdiger S. de Erice is well versed in financing, while tax law expert Konstantin Graf Lambsdorff handles VC and M&A transactions as well as interfacing tax matters.

Luther Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH‘s venture capital practice acts integrated into the corporate and M&A team led by Stefan Galla and is headed by Andreas Tüxen and Philipp Glock. Founders, start-ups and venture capital investors are supported in financing rounds, investments, share acquisitions, exits and related corporate law issues. The transaction capacities were strengthened in April 2023 with the addition of Andreas Vath (previously at KPMG Law in Germany).

White & Case LLP focuses on private equity and increasingly advises on venture capital matters. PE expert Stefan Koch heads the team, which supports companies – most recently technology-driven companies – in financing rounds. Thanks to the firm's international network, these mandates are often of a cross-border nature and, above all, have connections to the US. In November 2022, transaction expert Albrecht Schaefer joined from Linklaters as local partner.

The team at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP closely cooperates with the private equity practice and is led by PE transaction specialist Georg Linde. Matthias Schudlo made partner in January 2023 and also acts at this interface. The practice supports investors and companies in investments, transactions, takeovers and joint ventures, and frequently cooperates with the New York location.