Dr. Oliver Duys, a partner in Orrick's Düsseldorf office, is a member of the European Corporate Group. He also serves as co-chair of Orrick's Integration Committee, as well as group leader of German HR.
His practice focuses on complex mergers and acquisitions transactions, leveraged buyouts, joint-ventures, corporate formation and general corporate counseling. Another major focus of his practice is private equity. Mr. Duys, furthermore, has extensive experience in post mergers and acquisitions litigation and arbitration, as well as in D&O compliance matters (Siemens, Ferrostaal). Over the years, Mr. Duys has advised clients like AXA, EADS, Findos Investor, GSW Immobilien, Holidaybreak, Thales and others.
Before joining Orrick Hölters & Elsing, Mr. Duys worked at the German law firm Hengeler Mueller in the Düsseldorf office. Mr. Duys is mentioned as a "frequently recommended lawyer" in the field of M&A by JUVE Handbuch Wirtschaftskanzleien 2010/2011.
Transactions in which Mr. Duys has recently acted as the lead partner include the following.
- Sale of portfolio of 45 retail properties (mostly METRO Cash & Carry wholesale-retail properties) by the main shareholders of Metro (i.e. the Beisheim, Haniel and Schmidt-Ruthenbeck family offices) to affiliates of Cerberus Capital Management L.P.
- Representation of the management board of GSW Immobilien AG, a leading real estate company based in Berlin, in connection with the company’s IPO on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
- Sale of 36 beverage stores by EDEKA and Trinkgut to affiliates of Veltins, Dr. Oetker and REWE Dortmund Group.
- Acquisition of all shares in ABIT GmbH from the listed financial service provider GFKL Financial Service AG by Findos Investor.
- Acquisition of a 50 percent stake in Meininger Holding GmbH by Holidaybreak Plc, an education, leisure and activity travel group.
- Sale of portfolio of 23 retail properties (mostly food retailing) by the shareholders of Metro to consortium of Morgan Stanley Real Estate Fund (MSREF) Global VII and Redos Real Estate.
- Sale of Trinkgut Group, Germany's leading operator of beverage and liquor wholesale stores, to EDEKA Group.
- Sale of the majority shareholding in Sterntaler GmbH, a manufacturer of children's clothing, to Bitburger Holding GmbH.
- Takeover of the German group entity of the Coley Pharmaceutical Group by Pfizer Inc.
- Transfer of a joint venture by EADS and Thales to the MBDA Group, the world leading missile systems group.
- Sale of the Holger Christiansen A/S (Denmark) by Hella to Robert Bosch GmbH.
- Acquisition of Scout Group by T-Online.
- Restructuring and takeover of Buderus AG by Bosch.
- Acquisition of Delmora Bank by Goldman Sachs.
- Acquisition of various NPL portfolios by Citigroup.
- Takeover and restructuring of Mannheimer Lebensversicherung AG by Protector Lebensversicherungs AG.
Mr. Duys acts as university lecturer at the post-graduate "M&A Study Program" of the University of Münster.
Oliver Duys