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Dirk Jannott
Partner

Dr. Dirk Jannott

Rechtsanwalt

Duesseldorf, Germany
Languages
  • German
  • English

Dirk Jannott mainly advises strategic investors on national and international M&A transactions. He also focuses on complex group reorganisations and has extensive know-how and experience advising companies on changing their legal form to an SE (European Company) or SCE (European Cooperative Society), including codetermination issues. Dirk furthermore regularly works on joint ventures, often involving complex corporate governance structures and exit arrangements. His clients include German and international groups as well as medium-sized companies.

Dirk was admitted as a lawyer in 1994 and became a partner in 1999. International stints include working in Toronto (1987), New York (1987/1989), Sydney (1991) and Brussels (1993). In 1994/95, he practised for a year with Shearman & Sterling in New York.

Awards & Recognitions
01 –
  • Quote
    Listed for Corporate
    Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2025 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
  • Quote
    Listed for Corporate
    Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2024 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
  • Quote
    Listed for Corporate
    Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2023 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
  • Quote
    "Recommended" for Corporate
    JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2020-2022 (GCLF)
  • Quote
    Leading lawyer for corporate law
    Kanzleimonitor 2020-2022
  • Quote
    Führender Anwalt Gesellschaftsrecht
    Kanzleimonitor 2022/2023
  • Quote
    Führender Anwalt Gesellschaftsrecht
    Kanzleimonitor 2022/2023

Relevant experience

M&A

  • Advice to Brenntag on the acquisition of Leis Polytechnik polymere Werkstoffe and of ACU PHARMA und CHEMIE.
  • Advice to Magna Automotive Services on the acquisition of BDW Technologies Group with particular focus on restructuring issues and post-acquisition integration.
  • Advice to PCC Group on the disposal of their Polish logistics arm, Poland's largest private rail provider, to DB (German Rail) Mobility Logistics.

Reorganisation

  • Advising E.ON on reorganising the group, in particular regarding split-offs, spin-offs, mergers and joint ventures.
  • Advising EVN on a cross-border merger.

SE

  • Advising FORATIS on setting up the first shelf SE in Germany.
  • Advising Impreglon on changing its legal form to an SE.
  • Advising PCC on changing its legal form to an SE.
  • Advising Westfleisch on changing its legal form from a German eG (registered cooperative company) to an SCE (European Cooperative Society). Westfleisch was the first German company to undergo this transition.

Joint Ventures

  • Advising PCC Group on the equity structuring of an SPV for the purposes of setting up a silicon plant in Iceland.
  • Advising Work Service on a joint venture with Fiege Logistik.

Publications

  • Handbuch des Aktienrechts, Dr Juergen Frodermann/Dr Dirk Jannott (Ed.), ISBN 978-3-8114-9118-2, C.F. Mueller Verlag, 10th edition, 2025
  • Erste praktische Erfahrungen mit der SCE, NZG 2019, 90
  • Vorstandshaftung in Deutschland, Ecolex 2018, 583
  • Handbuch des Aktienrechts, Dr Juergen Frodermann/Dr Dirk Jannott (Ed.), ISBN 978-3-8114-9, C.F. Mueller Verlag, 9th edition, 2017
  • Koelner Handbuch Handels- und Gesellschaftsrecht, Dr Wolf-Georg Freiherr von Rechenberg/Ruediger Ludwig (Hrsg.), chapter 17, Die Europaeische Aktiengesellschaft (Societas Europaea), co-author: Dr Juergen Frodermann; chapter 17, Die Europaeische Genossenschaft (Societas Cooperativa Europaea), co-author: Guelsah Civelek, ISBN 978-3-472-07217-1, Luchterhand-Verlag, 4th edition, 2017
  • Europaeisches Mitbestimmungsrecht, Prof. Dr Bjoern Gaul/Dr Daniel Ludwig/Prof Dr Gerrit Forst (Hrsg.), Gesellschaftsrechtliche Gestaltungsmoeglichkeiten bei der Gruendung einer Europaeischen AG, co-author: Dr Rainer Kienast, ISBN 978 3 406 67677 2, Verlag C. H. Beck, 2015
  • Handbuch der Europaeischen Aktiengesellschaft, Dr Dirk Jannott/Dr Juergen Frodermann (Ed.), ISBN 978-3-8114-3756-2, C.F. Mueller Verlag, 2nd edition, 2014
  • International Business Acquisitions: Major Legal Issues and Due Diligence, M. Whalley/Ralf Kurney (Ed.), chapter 36, European Union - Societas Europaea, ISBN 978-90-411-5660-0, Kluwer Law International 2014, p. 666 ff
  • Heilende Kraft des Kontinuitaetsprinzips oder Perpetuierung nichtiger Aufsichtsratswahlen?, BetriebsBerater, issue 36, 2 September 2013, p. 2120 et seqq., co-author: Dr Tobias Gressinger
  • Die Europa-AG (SE) - Moeglichkeiten für deutsche Familienunternehmen, Unternehmermagazin 2007, p. 30
  • Zur Amtszeit des Verwaltungs- bzw. Aufsichtsrats der SE, ZIP 2005, p. 2251
  • Die Europaeische Aktiengesellschaft - Durchbruch in Nizza, Der Syndikus 2001
  • Leitfaden für den Boersengang, CMS intern 2001
  • Aenderung und Beendigung von Beherrschungs- und Gewinnabfuehrungsvertraegen im Aktien- und GmbH-Recht, DStR 1995, p. 1473 ff
  • Die Reichweite der Dienstleistungsfreiheit im Gueterkraftverkehr der EG, Nomos 1991

Memberships & Roles

  • Industrie-Club Duesseldorf
  • Heimatverein Duesseldorfer Jonges e.V.

Lectures list

  • Reformbedarf und -bestrebungen bei der SE, SE-Symposion, Duesseldorf, September 2014
  • Konzern-Restrukturierung – im Spannungsfeld zwischen Arbeits- und Gesellschaftsrecht, Jahreskongress des Bundesverbands der Unternehmensjuristen, Berlin, January 2013
  • Streitpraevention bei M&A-Transaktionen – aus der Nachsorge zur Vorsorge, D/A/CH Strategie-Gipfel 2011, Frankfurt, May 2011
  • Laufzeit und Neuverhandlung der Mitbestimmungsvereinbarung, Tagung des Arbeitskreises Aktien- und Kapitalmarktrecht (AAK), Berlin, December 2010
  • Die Europaeische Aktiengesellschaft (SE) – Chance für den Mittelstand, IHK Stuttgart, November 2010
  • Die Europaeische Aktiengesellschaft (SE), eine Unternehmensform für den Mittelstand, Hamburg, June 2010, Stuttgart, July 2010
  • Grenzueberschreitende Verschmelzung, Frankfurt, March 2007
  • Neue juristische Personen des Gemeinschaftsrechts, insbesondere die Europaeische Aktiengesellschaft (SE), Ungarisch-Deutsche Juristenkonferenz, Tihany, May 2006
  • Die SE im Konzern, Forum Institut für Management, Duesseldorf, February 2006
  • Europaeische Aktiengesellschaft – Societas Europaea, Duesseldorf, January 2006
  • Unternehmenskauf, Kongress der Deutsch-Spanischen Juristenvereinigung, Santander, June 2003
  • Ablauf einer Unternehmensuebernahme nach dem neuen WpUEG, Duesseldorf, February 2002
  • Mergers & Acquisitions, Deutsche Bank AG, August 2001
  • Rechtliche Aspekte des Boersengangs, Deutsches Aktieninstitut, Duesseldorf, September 2000
  • Rechtliche Aspekte des Boersengangs, Cologne, May 2000

Education

  • 1994: Admitted as a lawyer
  • 1994: Second state examination in law in Düsseldorf
  • Worked in Toronto (1987), New York (1987/1989), Sydney (1991) and Brussels(1993)
  • 1991: PhD on a European law topic
  • 1989 - 1990: Research assistant for Prof. Dr. Immenga at the University of Göttingen
  • 1989: First state examination in law in Göttingen
  • 1984 - 1989: Law and business studies at the Universities of Göttingen and Freiburg; finished business studies with a Vordiplom (specific German pre-degree)
Practice Areas
Corporate / M&A Mergers & Acquisitions International Group Structures
sectors
Private Equity & Venture Capital Energy & Climate Change

Insights by Dirk

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CMS advises Westag on delisting takeover offer and delisting

02 Jul 2025 2 min read
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CMS advises QBS Technology on the acquisition of Prianto Group

06 Feb 2025 2 min read
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14 Oct 2024 1 min read
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30 Aug 2024 2 min read
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