Member Profiles

Attorney Dr. Lars Grube is a specialist lawyer in inheritance law and has been a self-employed lawyer since 1995, after previously working as an employed lawyer for renowned law firms during his traineeship and then for five years. The focus of his legal work for companies, entrepreneurs and private individuals is inheritance law, contract law and individual asset succession (security) . Due to his personal career with study visits to various European countries (France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland), RA Dr. Grube is also a suitable contact person for some international issues - both in the private environment (holiday properties, international inheritance law, etc.) and in the business environment - especially in the context of Spain. RA Dr. values Grube focuses on finding quick and efficient solutions to his clients' legal problems - be it for business clients or for private individuals who turn to him. Attorney Dr. Grube completed his law studies at the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich and the Université de Lausanne (Switzerland). He also holds a diploma in comparative law from the Faculté Internationale de droit comparé at the Université de Strasbourg (France).

Gerlind Wisskirchen specializes in advising international groups, providing added value through analytical expertise as well as precise and strategic recommendations. Her endeavors extend beyond simply providing legal advice. She and her team are performance-driven and creative and strive to forge workable and strategic client-focused solutions so that businesses can achieve their business objectives. Part of this advice is project management, thus under-standing the relevant factors, defining the goals, selecting the best methods and tools, and precisely implementing the set objectives. Gerlind advises multinational groups with a focus on restructurings, national and international labor and employment law and compliance issues. Acting as a strategic advisor to the management or serving as advisory board member, she assists with the development of business plans and strategies from an HR and labor and em-ployment law perspective. As an expert for the digitalization of the workplace, she has pub-lished the "Artificial Intelligence and Robotics and Their Impact on the Workplace" report for the Global Employment Institute and testified as expert before the German and European parliament. In a globalized world in which national borders are increasingly diminishing and corporations are facing global challenges, she has particular expertise in cross-border projects like business reorganizations (outsourcing, offshoring), compliance issues, cross-border compensation pro-grams, cross-border audits and internal investigations, board level codetermination, matrix structures of multinational corporations, the European works council, the implementation of codes of conduct, whistleblowing systems and IT-systems, and data privacy protection issues. She developed the "EU Labor & Employment Law Navigator", a comparative analysis of the labor and employment law systems in Europe. Gerlind is a regular moderator and panelist at national and international conferences on the legal issues of international HR management and on issues of cross-border labor and employ-ment law, such as the International Bar Association, the American Bar Association and the American Employment Law Council. She is a lecturer for the MBA program "International Human Resources Management" at Cranfield University, UK, one of Europe’s leading Business Schools, and has published numerous articles in German and in English. From 1991 to 1995, Gerlind worked for two US law firms before joining the international department of the German Federal Ministry of Finance. She joined CMS in 1998 and was made partner in 2003.

Dr. Andrea Schuessler studied Chemistry at the Philipps University in Marburg, Germany, and graduated in 1987. She continued as a graduate student at the university and obtained her doctorate in 1990 with a thesis on the isolation and characteristics of two isogenes (cDNA) of the subunit VIa of rat cytochrome c oxidase. Between 1990 and 1993 she was employed as a technical assistant in a Munich patent law firm including placements at the German Patent and Trade Mark Office, the German Federal Patent Court and the Munich District Civil Court (Patent Division). She qualified as a German Patent Attorney in 1994 and as a European Patent Attorney in 1995. She has worked for Huber & Schüssler since 1996. Her current practice involves work in the field of intellectual property law, including all representation of clients at the German Patent & Trade Mark Office, the European Patent Office, the German Federal Patent Court, and in nullity actions at the Federal Supreme Court. She is experienced in infringement litigation concerning patents, utility models and in competition law. Her technical speciality is in the fields of biochemistry and biotechnology, e.g. immunology, plant biology, molecular genetics, cancer research, human gene research and virology. Ph.D. (Biotechnology) at the Philipps University, Marburg, 1990 Technical assistant in a Munich patent law firm 1990-1993 including placements at the German Patent and Trade Mark Office, the German Federal Patent Court and the Munich District Civil Court (Patent Division)

BUSINESS LAW - M&A Advice and support in the areas of German and international economic, commercial and corporate law, general civil law, banking law, commercial administrative law, foundation law, compliance Support for German companies with EU (EEA) foreign subsidiaries as well as EU (EEA) companies with German subsidiaries, also in cooperation with long-term cooperation partners Contracts, corporate law issues, support as a supervisory board or advisory board M&A advice (responsible involvement in > 40 corporate transactions, mainly distressed M&A), due diligence issues Support in pre/post-transaction phase  Investment management, also with regard to foreign branches transformations and mergers Mediation and support in shareholder disputes, conciliation and arbitration proceedings Credit and financing agreements, also in the mezzanine area, silent participations, sub-participations Labor law as well as managing director and executive board contracts Coaching of board members and managing directors, supervisory boards and advisory boards expert work REFURBISHMENT Defense against bankruptcy challenge Defense against liability claims against managing directors and board members Ways out of the corporate crisis: restructuring, reorganization to avoid insolvency Advice on avoiding insolvency, overindebtedness (Pre)examination of the possibilities of restructuring under insolvency protection (self-administration or protective shield proceedings, insolvency plan), in cooperation with long-standing partners Preparation of pre-insolvency restructuring procedures in France and Italy, in cooperation with long-term cooperation partners Registration of bankruptcy claims Contractual relationships in insolvency (asset liabilities, offsetting) Refurbishment sales, fire sales corporate law in bankruptcy Labor law in bankruptcy LITIGATION Legal representation before ordinary courts, labor courts and in arbitration proceedings Preparation of court proceedings in other European countries and representation in court in cooperation with long-standing cooperation partners Coordination and review of legal disputes abroad for the parent company (possibly in cooperation with long-term cooperation partners) Support for the mandate holders of subsidiaries in other European countries before or during insolvency proceedings as well as safeguarding the interests of the parent company

Attorney Phillipp von Raven specializes in the fields of German corporate law and M&A/corporate acquisition as well as international business law and general cross-border commercial law. He has extensive experience in venture capital and private equity transactions as well as international joint ventures and is an expert on franchise agreements. In the field of corporate law, he counsels clients on matters including shareholder disputes, transformations, mergers and other complex restructurings. He advises German medium-sized enterprises and venture capital companies, as well as international corporations. Phillipp von Raven has overseen and provided legal advice on M&A transactions and joint ventures in Germany, France, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, Russia, the Middle East, South Africa and Japan. Phillipp von Raven has over 21 years of professional experience. Prior to joining WINHELLER, he worked for 14 years at the US law firm Jones Day in the M&A and Corporate Law practice group. Furthermore, he worked at a major German business law firm for two years. He is a renowned lecturer for M&A and corporate law issues and has lectured at the Institute for Law and Finance at Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany and at the Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany.