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Kai Liebrich is a partner in our Finance practice group and the Office Managing Partner in Germany.

Kai is a finance specialist, advising German and international financial institutions, international investment banks and financial investors on a wide range of products and transaction types. As a transactional lawyer, he has considerable experience on various debt instruments, acquisition finance, real estate finance, financial institution M&A, structured products and derivatives transactions.

Kai has acted on behalf of financial institutions, financial investors and servicers of CMBs on the realization and restructuring of distressed investments.

Kai has also special expertise advising financial institutions on regulatory and data privacy issues. Recently, he has advised German financial institutions on the implementation of the European Markets Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR).

Background

Kai graduated from the law school of the University of Giessen. In 2007, Kai was seconded to the legal department of Morgan Stanley Bank AG. Prior to joining Herbert Smith Freehills in 2014 Kai was a partner in the Banking and Finance practice of another leading international law firm. Kai speaks English in addition to his native German.

 

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Experience & expertise

Selected matters

  • a global investment bank and major German banking institution in connection with a Section 44 German Banking Act (Kreditwesengesetz) audit by BaFin. The BaFin audit was in particular focused on compliance with know your customer and anti-money laundering proceedings within the bank. We worked with a team cross several jurisdictions, inter alia, UK, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria and USA. This included the work vis-à-vis the relevant regulators in those jurisdictions
  • Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) in connection with the financing of Midea's announced takeover offer for KUKA (approx. €4 billion)
  • Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) on a strategic joint venture with Unibail-Rodamco regarding the indirect acquisition of a 46.1% interest in mfi AG, the second largest German Shopping Center Operator
  • Federal Agency for Financial Market Stabilisation on stabilisation measures for WestLB AG and on the establishment of Erste Abwicklungsanstalt (the first German bad bank)*
  • Depfa Bank plc. Group in connection with the transfer of risk positions to FMS Wertmanagement (the second German bad bank)*
  • International investment banks and financial investors on the restructuring and evaluation of their investments in structured finance products and other debt instruments*
  • German and international banks on the implementation of the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR)*

*Prior to joining Herbert Smith Freehills