Mergers & Acquisitions

Focused on M&A transactions

M&A transactions are the focus of CMS’s corporate law work. With around 180 lawyers, our firm offers M&A advice that combines solid legal expertise and experience with insider industry knowledge. 

Decades of leadership in M&A advice 

Backed by more than 1,000 lawyers worldwide, CMS advises leading companies on major – and mostly international – M&A transactions. Our Corporate/M&A practice has long held a leading position in the M&A league tables. We advise on more M&A transactions in Germany and Europe than any other law firm. This experience directly benefits you in your M&A process.

When you acquire a company or invest in one, our firm’s Corporate/M&A lawyers work seamlessly with experts from other areas both within Germany and internationally to deliver tailor-made M&A advice from a single source. 

We have M&A specialists covering the following areas:

Private M&A

• Structuring the transaction
• Transaction management
• Negotiating non-disclosure agreements and letters of intent
• Support in tender proceedings when reviewing a tender and on structuring the process
• Support ahead of and during due diligence
• Preparing the required contracts and resolutions
• Contract negotiations
• Contract management and transaction documentation
• Preparation for signing and closing
• Assistance with post-closing activity
• Post Merger Integration (PMI)

Distressed M&A

• Sale and purchase of distressed assets, NPL and distressed companies
• Acquisition out of administration
• Extracting value from distressed assets

Public M&A

• Takeover offer
• Acting in concert / insider trading / ad-hoc publicity
• Control and profit transfer agreements
• Squeeze-out
• Delisting
• Advising management and supervisory boards

M&A advice tailored to your sector and region 

Knowledge of current industry trends plays a key role in providing a realistic assessment of the potential and challenges of a transaction, planning it effectively and achieving a successful outcome. Our experience is apparent from our broad track record. We harness this experience in clusters of excellence that serve as think tanks and have a particular focus on the following sectors:

• Automotive & Mobility
• Financial Services
• Energy & Climate
• Real Estate & Hotels
• Industry
• Consumer Products
• Life Sciences & Healthcare
• Digital & Tech

Demand for all-in-one solutions for cross-border M&A transactions continues to grow. The strong capabilities of the global CMS network enable us to handle cross-border M&A transactions smoothly and efficiently. 

CMS European M&A Study – benefit from our analysis of deal trends

CMS has been evaluating data from thousands of M&A transactions across Europe since 2007, which is distilled into the annual CMS European M&A Study. We analyse the key deal points of each of these M&A transactions and categorise them in terms of trends. We can produce a tailored analysis by individual country and/or by sector to meet your specific needs.

Want to find out more about our M&A expertise or receive a copy of our CMS European M&A Study 2025? Please just contact us.