Dr Soenke Becker

Soenke routinely advises multinationals on cross border transactions, joint ventures and corporate law issues, including corporate governance and compliance as well as corporate reorganisations and restructurings. Soenke's sector focus covers regulated industries (such as aviation and defence), transport & logistics, infrastructure, construction as well as telecommunications, consumer products and general industries. He co-chairs Herbert Smith Freehills’ global Manufacturing & Industrials sector group.

Since 2009, Soenke Becker is continuously recommended for M&A and Corporate law by Chambers, Best Lawyers/Handelsblatt, The Legal 500 Germany, Wirtschaftswoche and the JUVE Handbook. According to those sources, clients in particular value Soenke's commercial mind-set and his strength in negotiations. Ranked as one of “Germany’s Best Lawyers” for Corporate and M&A - Best Lawyers/Handelsblatt 2021.

Soenke's experience includes advising:

• Deutsche Lufthansa on various matters, including cross border transactions (buy and sell side), corporate reorganisations, contractual aspects of pilot dispute, and, most recently, on the sale of European business of LSG Group to airline caterer gategroup
• flaschenpost on its sale to Dr. Oetker group, one of the largest ever VC exists in Germany
• ADO Properties with respect to the sale of a significant real estate portfolio to Gewobag (largest re-municipalization of private housing in Berlin so far)
• Deutsche Post DHL on various transactions (buy side)
• thyssenkrupp Marine Systems on joint venture with Kongsberg Group regarding production and sale of submarine fleet to Norwegian navy
• Atlas Elektronik (a ThyssenKrupp/Airbus joint venture) on various transactions (buy and sell side), formation of joint ventures and corporate matters*
• Global Investor with respect to intended acquisition of significant life insurance portfolio issued by German insurance company
• Australian based TMT multinational on mid cap transactions and corporate matters
• Several US and Japanese multinationals on various mid cap transactions and corporate matters
• Fujitec on divestiture of German elevator business
• Hochtief on various disposals, including service solutions business, property management business and offshore business*
• Bayer HealthCare on carve out of animal health business*
• WestLB/Portigon on divestment of non-German subsidiaries and assets, including Banco do Brazil*
• Linde on reorganisation of material handling business and subsequent sale of Kion to KKR/Goldman Sachs*
• Telefónica on sale of yourfone*
• Emmi group on acquisitions in Germany*, most notably on Onken business from Oetker group
• Daimler*, GSW*, Schueco and Gewobag* on corporate governance/corporate matters

*experience prior to joining Herbert Smith Freehills

Background

Soenke Becker graduated from the Freie Universität Berlin and further studied at Tulane Law School and, as Fulbright Scholar, at Virginia Law School. He holds a Doctor of Laws (Dr. iur.) from the Freie Universität Berlin and a Master of Laws from the University of Virginia. Soenke is admitted to practice in Germany and New York.

Before joining Herbert Smith Freehills in 2016, Soenke was a partner in a leading global law firm for nearly 10 years where he chaired the Corporate/M&A practice in the EMEA region.