Dr. Christoph Trautrims
LL.M. (Cambridge)
Lawyer, Notary (Frankfurt) / Partner
Eschersheimer Landstraße 25-27
60322 Frankfurt am Main
Lawyer Notary

Dr Christoph Trautrims is a lawyer focused on corporate transactions (M&A), corporate law and real estate law.

He is valued by his clients as a pragmatic and reliable advisor, as well as a trustworthy sparring partner. Together with his clients, he develops soundly based solutions that meet both economic needs and legal requirements.

One focus of his legal work is advising on corporate transactions (M&A) as well as corporate law processes such as capital increases or transformation and restructuring measures, in some cases internationally. He has advised on a large number of complex transactions and restructurings, including the merger of Linde and Praxair and the negotiations on the Thyssenkrupp–Tata merger. He has received several awards from WirtschaftsWoche as one of the best lawyers for corporate law. Another focus area of his is advising on all real-estate-related processes, project developments and transactions (asset and share deals).

After schooling in Germany and the USA, he studied and earned his doctorate at the Universities of Passau, Marburg (Dr. iur.) and Cambridge (LLM) with scholarships from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the German Academic Exchange Service. He received his doctorate under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Erich Schanze with a dissertation on international corporate law (The Conflict of Laws of Partnerships, 2009).

He received special awards for his achievements in the First and Second State Law Examinations as well as the Notary Examination, and for his academic achievements at the University of Cambridge (First-Class Honours, Peterhouse College Prize, Title of Scholar).

He is married, has two children, and lives with his family in Bergstraße, Hesse.

  • Expertise
    • Foundation and restructuring of companies, transformations

      FPS has profound expertise when it comes to the foundation of companies, regardless of the legal form. We advise on the foundation of new companies as well as the establishment of real estate funds and also provide the necessary legal support.

      It is not uncommon for a developing company to have to adapt its structure. We help our clients to devise and implement such reorganisation measures. In doing so, we find individual solutions that take into account aspects covered by corporate law as well as tax, employment, commercial and antitrust law.
      In addition, we also advise on transformations, including changes of legal form, mergers, spin-offs and company demergers, and help to implement these processes.

    • AGMs / shareholders’ meetings

      FPS advises numerous public limited companies and limited liability companies at their general meetings and shareholders’ meetings. Besides providing notarial support, we also offer legal advice on the organisation and content of the meetings and advise on the company’s overall strategic direction.

    • Mergers / acquisitions

      Successful transactions require careful planning and structuring, both in terms of content and time. Our M&A experts not only perform due diligence and draft the contract, but also handle the subsequent contract negotiations and manage the project in the post-closing phase.

      We advise domestic and foreign companies on both the buyer and seller side on M&A projects, private equity and venture capital transactions, management buy-ins and buyouts and corporate cooperation projects (joint ventures). Here, we draft and negotiate confidentiality and exclusivity agreements (letters of intent) as well as contracts covering company acquisitions and investment agreements.

      In all M&A transactions, we establish a close and trusting working relationship with our clients’ auditors and tax consultants, determine how to optimally structure the transactions for tax purposes and ensure compliance with antitrust requirements.

    • Executive body / management consulting

      Due to the tightening of legislation and case law following the financial crisis, the personal liability of managing directors as well as members of executive and supervisory boards has taken on practical significance. Accordingly, we advise our clients on liability matters involving executive bodies in internal and external relationships as well as in the area of D&O insurance. Our clients benefit from our many years of experience in the field of liability law for the liberal professions and from our trusting working relationships with insurers.

      Our work particularly includes drafting and negotiating executive board and managing director contracts, advising members of supervisory bodies, advising on co-determination issues and representing clients in and out of court in liability matters.

    • Corporate succession

      Succession planning is of crucial importance, especially for medium-sized and family-owned companies. FPS advises domestic and foreign clients on succession arrangements with interdisciplinary teams of lawyers and notaries specialising in corporate, inheritance and tax matters. We solve any such issues in close cooperation with the contact persons at the auditing firm and tax consultancy or other advisors working on behalf of our clients. Together, we devise tailored solutions for our clients when implementing risk prevention measures, drawing up succession arrangements (such as transfers during someone’s lifetime or testamentary arrangements in the event of death, contracts of inheritance, sales scenarios), optimising tax affairs upon succession and executing wills. In addition, we provide representation and mediation in connection with inheritance disputes.

    • Joint ventures

      We advise on joint ventures, alliances and minority shareholdings, which are becoming ever more important for international companies from a strategic perspective. In our corporate law practice, we assist clients from various sectors. This may include joint ventures as individual transactions or as part of larger restructuring measures and reorganisation plans for existing companies, the redesign of project-based joint ventures to pool expertise and technologies, exit joint ventures for a phased exit from business areas and the use of joint ventures as a tool for market entry in emerging economies.

      Our expertise extends into related areas of law such as regulation, taxation, employment law, commercial law, environmental law and intellectual property. With our network, we offer a coordinated, comprehensive service for cross-border joint ventures.

      Our advice addresses problems and pitfalls, including voting rights, regulatory approval procedures, exit strategies, valuation issues and governance risks. Our aim is to achieve results that enable our clients to negotiate business matters with confidence.

    • Corporate housekeeping

      FPS supports companies with all aspects of corporate housekeeping, from foundation and compliance to transactions. Our experienced team of experts assists with due diligence, contract negotiations and transaction structuring. We minimise legal risks, ensure compliance and facilitate successful transactions. With individual solutions and extensive industry knowledge, we provide an excellent service to help our clients achieve their business goals.

    • Distressed M&A

      Mergers and acquisitions are part of any commercial law firm’s standard repertoire. In exceptional situations, however, such as an economic crisis where there is considerable time pressure and many interests, special knowledge and experience are required. By adopting an economic and strategic perspective, we advise sellers and buyers in the context of corporate transactions in a crisis environment – in pre-insolvency share or asset deals, in reorganisation measures by transfer in the context of insolvency proceedings, or by way of an insolvency plan.

    Language skills

    German English
  • Education
    since 2019Partner at FPS
    2017Appointment as notary (registered office Frankfurt am Main)
     LLM (Cambridge, UK)
    2012Admission to practise law in Germany 
     Doctorate (Dr. iur.)
    2011Second state law exam
     First state law exam
  • Publications
    Dr. Thomas Schnülle-Weingart Dr. Christoph Trautrims Daniel Herper
    Mergers & Acquisitions Laws and Regulations 2024 I Germany
    GLI-Handbuch Mergers & Acquisitions - Laws and Regulations 2024, 13th Edition, 2024, S. 58-66
    Dr. Christoph Trautrims Dr. Markus Oliver Clot Prof. Dr. Stefan Reinhart Dr. Thomas Lang
    Heinemann | Trautrims, Nomos 1. Auflage 2022, ISBN 978-3-8487-5789-3,
    Dr. Christoph Trautrims
    Das Kollisionsrecht der Personengesellschaften: Grundzüge des neuen internationalen Gesellschaftsrechts (Akademische Verlagsgemeinschaft München)
    Akademische Verlagsgemeinschaft München,
    Dr. Christoph Trautrims
    Kündigung einer Unternehmensanleihe aus wichtigem Grund
    Betriebs-Berater, 2012, S. 1821-1824
    Dr. Christoph Trautrims
    Geschichte und Bedeutung von Sitz- und Gründungstheorie im deutschen Recht
    Zeitschrift für das gesamte Handelsrecht und Wirtschaftsrecht (ZHR), 176, 2012, S. 435-455
  • References
  • Events

Awards

Best Lawyers | Handelsblatt Leading in Mergers and Acquisitions Law
since 2024
WirtschaftsWoche Top Lawyer for Corporate Law
2022 | 2020