Frank-M. Schwarz

Frank-M. Schwarz

European Counsel, Tax
Dr. Frank-M. Schwarz advises a variety of clients, including multinational corporations, private equity firms and financial institutions, on international and German corporate tax matters. Such tax matters mainly relate to cross-border mergers and acquisitions, management incentive programs and a wide range of complex tax controversy matters, including tax audits.

Bio

Dr. Schwarz’s recent experience includes advising:

  • alstria office REIT-AG on the tax aspects in connection with the public takeover by Brookfield against a cash consideration of €3.5 billion;
  • Færch Group and its owner, A.P. Møller Holding, on the tax aspects of the acquisition of PACCOR Group from U.S. private equity firm Lindsay Goldberg;
  • The KraftHeinz Company on the tax aspects of its acquisition of an 85% stake in Just Spices GmbH;
  • Filmbetriebe Berlin Brandenburg and its controlling shareholders on the tax aspects of the sale of a stake in Studio Babelsberg to TPG Real Estate Partners, followed by a subsequent public tender offer by TPG;
  • Armira and Boxine in Boxine’s €1 billion business combination with 468 SPAC I SE, one of the first de-SPAC transactions in the market involving a German-listed blanc cheque company;
  • SIGNA Sports United GmbH on the tax aspects of its US$3.3 billion initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange as a result of the de-SPAC merger with Yucaipa Acquisition Corporation. The merger also included the acquisition of WiggleCRC Group;
  • MorphoSys AG in the tax aspects of its US$1.7 billion acquisition of Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and its related US$2 billion financing from Royalty Pharma plc.;
  • the shareholders of Canyon Bicycles, Roman Arnold and TSG Consumer Partners in the sale of a majority stake in Canyon Bicycles to Groupe Bruxelles Lambert; 
  • funds advised by Energy Infrastructure Partners AG in a €530 million investment for a 49% stake in BayWa r.e. renewable energy GmbH;
  • Black Diamond Capital Management, L.L.C., along with InvestIndustrial, in their US$425 million acquisition of the phenolic specialty resin, hexamine and European forest products resins businesses of Hexion Inc.;
  • The SCP Group in its:
    • €1.2 billion acquisition of the Real Group from METRO AG; and
    • sale of the digital business of Real, including the online marketplace operated under real.de, to Schwarz Gruppe;
  • Gulf Energy Development in its acquisition of a 50% stake in the €2.6 billion offshore wind farm Borkum Riffgrund 2 from Global Infrastructure Partners and its joint venture with Ørsted;
  • funds advised by Credit Suisse Energy Infrastructure Partners AG in the €500 million acquisition of a 25% ownership interest in the Arkona offshore wind farm in Germany from Equinor ASA;
  • I Squared Capital in its acquisition of PEMA from Société Générale;
  • Corning Incorporated in its acquisition of substantially all of the Communication Markets division of 3M;
  • PayPal Inc. as lead investor in a US$50 million funding round for PPRO Holding GmbH; and
  • Key Safety Systems, Inc. in its US$1.6 billion acquisition of substantially all of the assets and operations of Takata Corporation.

Credentials

Education

  • Dr. jur., University of Bayreuth, 2016
  • Second State Exam, Higher Regional Court of Frankfurt am Main, 2017
  • First State Exam, University of Bayreuth, 2012

Admissions

  • Frankfurt am Main

Languages

  • German
  • English

Certifications

  • Certified Tax Advisor (Steuerberater), State of Hesse, Germany, 2022

Frank-M. Schwarz