Languages
- German
- English
- French
Social media
Gerd Leutner has more than 25 years’ experience advising German and international companies on structuring their business activities in Germany. This includes the acquisition and sale of equity interests, planning and establishing joint ventures, restructuring companies or groups of companies, as well as change of legal form and mergers (domestic and cross-border). His practice covers corporate and contract law (limited liability companies, partnerships, sector-specific contracts) and international private law.
Gerd also has long-standing experience advising a wide range of high-profile corporate collaborations, including public-private partnerships.
Gerd's geographic focus is, out of Francophile passion, on the French speaking countries. He coordinates the German French Group at CMS and accompanies German-French projects with binational expert teams.
Industry-wise, Gerd’s practice specialises in two sectors:
Automotive and mobility as well as hotels. The former covers electromobility, automated and autonomous driving, smart mobility, connected cars, road tolls and ITS as well as road and rail transport, while the latter focuses on transactions, such as the acquisition and sale of hotel businesses or real estate as well as restructuring and changing the form of operation (management contracts, franchise agreements). His clients include large hotel chains, real estate investors, and major hotel operators.
Gerd has also dealt with mandates from the defense and armament industry over past years. He is a member of the Defense and Security task force at CMS.
Before joining CMS, Gerd started his legal career in 1998 at a business law firm in Düsseldorf. In 2001/2002, he was seconded to CMS in Paris. In 2004, he was made partner. Gerd regularly publishes on corporate law and M&A topics, including on specific German-French issues. He represents CMS in organisations such as Deutsches Verkehrsforum (German Transport Forum) and ITS Germany e.V. and is chairman of the advisory board of the Humboldt European Law School Foundation.
