Dr. Bernd Meyer-Löwy
Overview
Bernd Meyer-Löwy is known for his profound insolvency knowledge and his experience of cross-border proceedings. He particularly stands out for representing clients in contentious insolvency matters and connected litigation. - Chambers
Dr. Bernd Meyer-Löwy is a restructuring partner in the Munich office of Kirkland & Ellis International LLP.
Before joining Kirkland, he worked for Linklaters Oppenhoff & Rädler and as an insolvency practitioner. Bernd has a wide range of cross-border restructuring and insolvency experience. He has acted for financial creditors, investors, turnaround advisors, debtors and insolvency practitioners in multi-jurisdictional restructurings and insolvency proceedings. He is qualified as a “special attorney for insolvency law” (Fachanwalt für Insolvenzrecht).
Bernd has been ranked as one of the leading German insolvency lawyers in JUVE, Chambers Europe, Chambers Global, IFLR1000 and Handelsblatt Best Lawyers.
Experience
Representative Matters
Venator Materials, PLC on their prepackaged Chapter 11 in Texas
Oakley Capital on the extension of their investment in IU Group
Avaya Holdings Corp. and its affiliates in their prepackaged Chapter 11 cases
Beautiful Mind Capital in connection with the financial restructuring of Cordenka
Defending former Neckermann supervisory board members against claims for damages by the insolvency administrator
Ad hoc group of holders of senior notes issued by Wirecard AG
Galapagos, a European provider of heat exchange and machine cooling systems, in relation to its financial restructuring
Gordon Brothers on a EUR 100 million ABL facility to a German hypermarket chain
Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. and certain subsidiaries in their Chapter 11 cases
Member of creditors’ committee and appointed joint representative of the bondholders of Air Berlin PLC
Advice to the largest secured creditor of the SolarWorld group; largest lender in out-of-court restructuring
A.T.U on their cross-border financial restructuring and subsequent sale to Mobivia
Tele Columbus in connection with a scheme of arrangement restructuring
Ad hoc committee of SynLoan I lenders in insolvency proceedings of IVG Immobilien AG
Rodenstock GmbH on the restructuring of its capital structure
Tronox, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates in their chapter 11 restructuring
Oaktree Capital as a principal investor/first lien lender party of the Almatis group
Mezzanine lenders in the restructuring of JOST World group
Lear Corporation in its prearranged chapter 11 reorganization
TallyGenicom in its chapter 11 restructuring
Member of creditors’ committee and advice to the bondholders of Escada AG
Dura Automotive Systems, Inc. in its chapter 11 reorganization
Member of creditors’ committee and advice to the second lien lenders of Schieder Möbel AG
Advice to the creditors of Lehman Brothers Europe Limited
Member of creditors’ committee and advice to the second lien lenders of TMD Friction GmbH
Insolvency administrator in the disposal of ATS to UNIWHEELS group
Ad hoc bondholders’ committee of Schefenacker
Joint administrators of Collins & Aikman Europe: administration and sale of German Collins & Aikman business
Treofan group: additional facilities and financial restructuring
Viacom in the insolvency proceedings of KirchMedia
Member of creditors’ committee and advice to the security agent of Callahan Ish
Prior Experience
Linklaters, Cologne, Germany
- Restructuring and Insolvency Group (December 1998–January 2006)
Linklaters, London, UK
- Restructuring and Insolvency Group (September 2000–January 2001)
More
Thought Leadership
Publications
Keine gruppenübergreifende Mehrheitsentscheidung bei lediglich zwei Gesellschaftergruppen in Restrukturierungsplan, EWiR, 11/2023, p. 343
Inkongruenter Vollstreckungsdruck durch englische Worldwide Freezing Order, EWiR, 12/2022, p. 375
Zum anzuwendenden Recht bei Anfechtung einer Zahlung des Insolvenzschuldners als Dritter zur Erfüllung einer vertraglichen Verpflichtung, EWiR, 12/2021, p. 369
Die Prüfung der Zahlungsunfähigkeit unter besonderer Berücksichtigung prognostischer Elemente, ZIP, 2019, p. 2143 (co-author with Josef Parzinger and Johannes Lappe)
Landmark court opinion increases liability risk profile for German portfolio company management, Pratt’s Journal of Bankruptcy Law, 3/2018, p. 136–142 (co-author with Carl Pickerill)
German insolvency avoidance action reform and its impact on financial and trade creditors, The Banking Law Journal, 6/2017, p. 359–365 (co-author with Carl Pickerill)
Das Verwertungsrecht des Insolvenzverwalters bei verpfändeten Geschäftsanteilen, GmbHR, 18/2016, p. 953 (co-author with Carl Pickerill)
Neue Anforderungen an Überbrückungskredite? – Anmerkung zu KG WM 2016, 1073, WM, 27/2016, p. 1269 (co-author with Alexander Längsfeld and Wolfgang Nardi)
Zur Insolvenzfestigkeit von Lizenzen an US-amerikanischen Patenten („Qimonda AG”), ZIP, 5/2015, p. 235 (co-author with Josef Parzinger)
Der erforderliche Umfang der Gesellschafterfinanzierung zwecks Abwendung der Insolvenz, ZIP, 51–52/2014, p. 2478 (co-author with Ksenia Shubina and Jens M. Schmidt)
Versperrt das Gesellschaftsrecht den rechtzeitigen Weg in die Sanierung? Eine Betrachtung zu den Auswirkungen des § 18 InsO auf den Konflikt zwischen Unternehmenserhaltungspflicht und frühzeitigen Sanierungsmaßnahmen, GmbHR, 20/2013, p. 1065–1075 (co-author with Carl Pickerill)
Directors’ “Twilight Zone” Project, INSOL, 2001, updated 2013
Das Insolvenzverfahren in Sachen Dailycer oder: Wie viel Gläubigermitbestimmung ermöglicht das ESUG?, ZIP, 50/2012, p. 2432–2435 (co-author with Martin Ströhmann)
Beratung der Gläubiger einer GmbH in Krise und Insolvenz nach dem ESUG, GmbHRundschau, 08/2012, p. 432–439 (co-author with Florian Bruder)
Germany’s revised bankruptcy code, TheDeal.com, January 12th 2012 (co-author with Leo Plank, Jonathan S. Henes and Carl Pickerill)
Zahlungsfähigkeit und positive Fortführungsprognose auch bei Vorlage eines Scheme of Arrangement, ZInsO, 15–16/2011, p. 662–666 (co-author with Susanne Fritz)
Aufgeschobene Gläubigerautonomie bei Unternehmensveräußerung vor dem Berichtstermin, ZInsO, 14/2011, p. 613–614
Business Laws of Germany 2009 Edition
Directors’ “Twilight Zone” Project, INSOL, 2001, updated 2009
Die Gläubigerausschussmitgliedschaft - nur für besicherte Großgläubiger?, NZI, 10/2008, p. VI
Practitioners Guide to Corporate Restructuring, 2008
Entbehrlichkeit des Sekundärinsolvenzverfahrens bei flexibler Verteilung der Insolvenzmasse im Hauptinsolvenzverfahren?, NZI, 11/2006, p. 622–624
Einführung in das US-amerikanische Insolvenzrecht, ZInsO, 14/2005, p. 735–740
Neue Rechtsprechung zur Insolvenzverwalterhaftung im Überblick, ZInsO, 13/2005, p. 691–695
Einführung in das englische Insolvenzrecht, ZInsO, 6/2005, p. 293–298
Schranken und Beschränkbarkeit der Insolvenzverwalterhaftung aus §§ 60, 61 InsO, ZInsO, 7/2004, p. 363–368
Eigenverwaltung (§§ 270 ff. InsO) löst Kompetenzkonflikt nach der EuInsVO, ZInsO, 4/2004, p. 195–198
Eigenkapitalersetzende Sicherheiten und Überschuldung, ZIP 2003, p. 1920
Unternehmenskauf vom „starken” vorläufigen Insolvenzverwalter, ZIP 2002, p. 2162
Verlorener Zuschuss, „Feuerwehrfonds in der Insolvenz”, Financial Times Deutschland, November 11th 2003
BGH verbietet „halbstarken” Insolvenzverwalter, Financial Times Deutschland, September 24th 2002
Directors’ “Twilight Zone” Project, INSOL, 2001
Das Auskunftsrecht des Aktionärs in der Hauptversammlung bei Fragenkatalogen und Massenauskünften, Munich, 2000
Human aspects of insolvency, AEPPC Paris, 2000
Registration of merger resolution despite a pending action to set-aside, IFLR, 1999
Seminars
Speaker at the Arbeitskreis für Insolvenzwesen Köln e.V. regarding licenses in insolvency, Cologne, May 2012
Speaker at the Turnaround Management Association (TMA) seminar on licenses in insolvency, Munich, January 2012
Speaker at the Transatlantic Deals & Disputes Conference: How to avoid shipwrecks in U.S.-German business, Frankfurt, June 2010
Speaker at the 6th Annual Distressed Debt Conference, London, June 2009
Speaker at the 3rd Annual Distressed Debt & Restructurings Seminar, Frankfurt, January 2008
Speaker at AlixPartners’ Münchner Restrukturierungsforum regarding distressed debt, Munich, October 2006
Speaker at the 2nd Annual European Distressed Debt Summit regarding cross-border and multi-jurisdictional distressed debt and insolvencies, Frankfurt, September 2006
Speaker at AlixPartners’ Frankfurter Restrukturierungsforum regarding distressed debt, Frankfurt, September 2006
Speaker at AlixPartners’ Restrukturierungsforum Rhein Ruhr regarding distressed debt, Cologne, August 2006
Presentations
Speaker at the European & Cross Border Distressed Debt Investing Forum, London, April 2006
Speaker at INSOL 2005, 7th World Congress, Sydney, regarding cash-movements among distressed group companies, March 2005
Speaker at the symposium “Internationales Insolvenzrecht” regarding cross-border insolvencies in particular under the EU-Insolvency Regulations, February 2004
Speaker at the ConVent seminar “Buy-Out von Unternehmen und Unternehmensteilen aus der Insolvenz” (“Distressed M&A”), November 2002
Speaker at a seminar of a German-wide purchasing organisation regarding the exposure of customers in the insolvency of their suppliers, 2001
Memberships & Affiliations
Arbeitskreis für Insolvenzwesen Köln e.V.
American Bankruptcy Institute
Credentials
Admissions & Qualifications
- 1997, Germany
- Fachanwalt für Insolvenzrecht (Insolvency Lawyer)
- Fachanwalt für Steuerrecht (Tax Lawyer)
Languages
- German
- English
Education
- Ruhr-Universität BochumDr. jur.2000
- Higher Regional Court of HagenSecond State Examination1997
- Ruhr-Universität BochumFirst State Examination1994
- Ruhr-Universität BochumLaw Degree1993