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Henrik Drinkuth
Partner

Dr. Henrik Drinkuth

Rechtsanwalt

Hamburg, Germany
Languages
  • German
  • English
  • French
Social media

Henrik Drinkuth is a Corporate/M&A partner with more than 20 years‘ experience advising German and international companies on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, public takeovers, corporate restructurings as well as on stock corporation law matters. He has special expertise in the media sector.

Henrik started his legal career with Bruckhaus Westrick Stegemann and joined CMS towards the end of 1997. He has been a partner since 2001 and is co-head of the takeover law excellence cluster.

Awards & Recognitions
01 –
  • Quote
    Listed for Private Equity
    Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2025 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
  • Quote
    Listed for Corporate
    Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2025 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
  • Quote
    Listed for Mergers and Acquisitions
    Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2025 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
  • Quote
    Nennung im Top-M&A-Anwälte-Ranking 2024
    FINANCE Magazin
  • Quote
    „Oft empfohlen“ für Gesellschaftsrecht
    JUVE Handbuch, 2024/2025
  • Quote
    Listed for Private Equity
    Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2024 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
  • Quote
    Listed for Corporate
    Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2024 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
  • Quote
    Listed for Mergers and Acquisitions
    Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2024 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
  • Quote
    „Oft empfohlen“ für Gesellschaftsrecht
    JUVE Handbuch, 2023/2024
  • Quote
    „konstruktiver Kollege, fachlich exzellent“, Wettbewerber
    JUVE Handbuch, 2023/2024
  • Quote
    Listed for Corporate
    Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2023 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
  • Quote
    Listed for Mergers and Acquisitions
    Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2023 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
  • Quote
    "highly experienced, pleasant, masterful", competitor
    JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2022 (GCLF)
  • Quote
    "Recommended" for Corporate and M&A
    JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2018-2022 (GCLF)
  • Quote
    Nennung als Top Anwalt für den Bereich M&A
    WirtschaftsWoche Top-Kanzleien 2021; In Kooperation mit: Handelsblatt Research Institute
  • Quote
    Lawyer of the Year for Corporate
    Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2021 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
  • Quote
    "knows how to close a deal, when it’s worth fighting and when it’s time to compromise" (client)
    JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2020 (GCLF)
  • Quote
    "technically precise, always solution-oriented and pragmatic" (competitor)
    JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2020 (GCLF)
  • Quote
    „sein Pragmatismus u. sein Verhandlungsgeschick sind herausragend“, Mandant
    JUVE Handbuch, 2022/2023
  • Quote
    „Oft empfohlen“ für Gesellschaftsrecht
    JUVE Handbuch, 2022/2023

Relevant experience

  • Wärtsilä Group (Finland) | On the sale of the group’s entertainment business to Videlio S.A (France)
  • BioCheck International N.V. (Netherlands) | On the acquisition of BioteCon Diagnostics GmbH
  • Supervisory board of TLG Immobilien AG | On the takeover offer of Aroundtown SA to the shareholders of TLG Immobilien AG
  • Acciona SA (Spain) | On the public takeover offer to the shareholders of Nordex SE
  • CTS Eventim AG & Co. KGaA | On the joint venture with FNAC Darty (France) regarding France Billet
  • Federal State of Lower Saxony | On the recapitalisation of NORD/LB
  • Wärtsilä Group (Finland) | On the sale of Wärtsilä ELAC Nautik GmbH

Publications

  • Handbuch börsennotierte AG, 4.Auflage, Die öffentliche Übernahme börsennotierter Gesellschaften, Übertragung von Aktien gegen Barabfindung (Squeeze out) Verlag Dr. Otto Schmidt Köln; herausgegeben von Marsch-Barner/Schäfer 2018, p. 1939, p. 2144
  • Chapter "Public Takeovers of Listed Corporations" und "Transfer of Shares against Cash Compensation (Squeeze out)" in Guide to Listed Companies, 3rd ed. 2014
  • Numerous articles on stock corporation law, takeover law and law on limited liability companies
  • Numerous articles on German stock corporation and takeover law, newspapers and law magazines 2008
  • Shareholders' Rights in view of Authorized Capital, The Stock Corporation (NJW) 2006, p. 142 ff
  • Provisions on the Exclusion of Shareholders under the "Sword of Damokles", New Law Journal (NJW) 2006, p. 410 ff
  • Formalised Information Rights in respect of so-called "Holzmueller-Resolutions"?, The Stock Corporation (AG) 2005, p. 256 ff
  • Information Requirements in respect of Resolutions according to Sect. 33 German Takeover Akt (§ 33 WpüG), The Stock Corporation (AG) 2005, p. 597 ff
  • Duties and Obligations of the Board Members of a Target Company in the Event of Public Offers in Reforms Needs for German Takeover Law, ed. by Veil/Drinkuth, Carl Heymanns-Verlag Cologne 2005, p. 0 59
  • Manual on the Listed Stock Corporation, Public Takeovers of Listed Companies, Verlag Dr. Otto Schmidt Cologne; ed. by Marsch-Barner/Schäfer 2005, p. 0 1915
  • Berichtspflicht des Vorstands beim genehmigten Kapital unter Ausschluss des Bezugsrechts, Der Syndikus, Legalease Ltd. 2004, p. 1 ff
  • Exclusion of Pre-Emptive Rights in view of European Company Law, International Tax Law Journal (IStR) 1997, p. 312 ff
  • The Capital Directive, At-Least or At-Most Provision, Verlag Dr. Otto Schmidt, Cologne 1997

Memberships & Roles

  • Gesellschaftsrechtliche Vereinigung (association of company law)
  • Board member of Gesellschaft Hamburger Juristen (lawyers association in Hamburg)

Lectures list

  • Legal Issues pertaining to Group-Financing, AmCham-Seminar, Frankfurt, April 2003
  • Duties and Obligations of the Board Members of a Target Company in the Event of Public Offers, Symposion on Takeover Law at Bucerius Law School, Hamburg, July 2004
  • Succession of Undertakings, Conference on Legal and Tax Aspects on the Succession of Undertakings, Hamburg, April 2005
  • Techniques of Contract Drafting A Lawyer's Perspective, Asian-European Business Transactions, ICGS, Hamburg, February / March 2006
  • Intellectual Property in Venture Capital- and Private Equity-Transactions, Euroforum, Dusseldorf, 23/24 August 2006

Education

  • 1996 PhD; thesis on European stock corporation law
  • 1994: Second state examination in law
  • 1992: First state examination in law
  • 1987 - 1991: Law studies at the Universities of Bayreuth, Lausanne and Mainz
  • 1985 - 1987: Traineeship with Dresdner Bank AG
Practice Areas
Corporate / M&A Banking & Finance Stock corporation law
sectors
Private Equity & Venture Capital

Insights by Henrik

See all Insights
Deals Germany

CMS advises German government and Federal State of Lower Saxony on MSC Cruises' order to Meyer Werft for up to six cruise ships with a volume of ten billion euros

06 Jan 2026 2 min read
Deals Germany

CMS advises tool trading companies Gödde, Oltrogge and Perschmann on the parallel sale of their companies to Hoffmann SE

15 Dec 2025 1 min read
Deals Germany

CMS advises Freudenberg Group on the purchase of Curt Georgi GmbH & Co. KG

04 Jul 2025 2 min read
News Germany

CMS advises EW Nutrition on investment in Green Innovation

28 Mar 2025 1 min read
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