Grell, Frank

Frank Grell

Partner

frank.grell@lw.com
    Grell, Frank

    Frank Grell

    Partner

    frank.grell@lw.com
    "Grand seigneur of the scene. Always calm and focused."

    The Legal 500 EMEA 2023

    "Frank Grell has a very strong network and is well versed in the German market and internationally."

    Chambers Europe 2023

    "He is an experienced mediator."

    Chambers Europe 2023

    “Frank is calm and observing but then he is very strong in negotiations.”

    Chambers Europe 2022 (Germany)

    Profile

    Frank Grell helps clients navigate distressed situations related to restructuring or insolvency. He chairs the German Restructuring & Special Situations Practice and served as Local Department Chair of the German Finance Department. Mr. Grell has earned a strong reputation from clients and leading publications for his empathetic approach and ability to craft pragmatic and commercial solutions in high-pressure or crisis situations.

    Mr. Grell advises: 

    • Companies, management, and shareholders in a financial or operational crisis 
    • Creditors in all phases of financial restructurings, including debt-equity swaps, share pledge enforcements, and insolvency plan proceedings 
    • Investors on the acquisition of distressed companies and on restructuring, rescue financing, or refinancing transactions, including debt-equity swaps 
    • Insolvency administrators on M&A, restructurings, or disputes

    Complementing his transactional work, he also represents parties in claw-back and liability cases.

    Mr. Grell is a board member of TMA Germany e.V. and of Norddeutsches Insolvenzforum e.V. (Insolvency Forum of Northern Germany).

    He regularly speaks and writes about insolvency and restructuring matters.

    Accolades and Rankings

    Mr. Grell has earned widespread recognition for his work, including:

    • Chambers Europe Germany 2023 - Band 1 for Restructuring/Insolvency
    • JUVE 2022/2023 for Restructuring and Insolvency as well as Corporate Law
    • Handelsblatt Best Lawyers 2023 for Restructuring and Insolvency in Germany
    • The Legal 500 Hall of Fame
    • Chambers Europe Germany 2019 as a “leading figure of his generation” for Restructuring/Insolvency
    • IFLR1000 2023 for Restructuring in Germany
    • The Legal 500 EMEA 2023 for Restructuring

    Experience

    Mr. Grell’s experience includes advising:

    Companies

    • Lumileds Holding B.V. and its affiliates in their chapter 11 cases in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York and restructuring more than US$1.7 billion of their funded debt
    • ACCENTRO Real Estate on the comprehensive refinancing of two bonds in a procedure under the German Bond Act (Schuldverschreibungsgesetz)
    • Löwenplay / Safari Holding Verwaltungs GmbH on the financial restructuring and recapitalization, which involved the first UK scheme of arrangement for a German issuer post-Brexit
    • German-based recycling group
    • Thomas Cook in restructuring

    Creditors

    • The committee of lenders on the comprehensive recapitalization of Flint Group
    • Ad-hoc Group of Senior Lenders in relation to an amend & extend of the financing for ARVOS
    • Agent/Security Agent in the protective shield proceedings and subsequent sale of the Neumayer Tekfor Group
    • Bank consortium in restructuring of Tom Tailor
    • Bank consortium on the extension of existing revolving credit facilities totaling €4.7 billion for TUI
    • HayFin as majority lender in connection with the restructuring of A.T.U
    • Senior lenders in the insolvency and sale of DruckChemie Group
    • UniCredit as agent/security agent in the loan-to-own restructuring of Klöckner Pentaplast Group

    Investors

    • Anchorage and Goldman Sachs on the investment in Stabilus
    • Carlyle in the acquisition and restructuring of Klenk Holz as well as in the insolvency of Kettler
    • H.I.G. Europe and Anchorage as investors in the debt to control restructuring, protective shield/insolvency plan proceedings, and sale of walter services group
    • Private equity investors on the intended acquisitions of MIFA Mitteldeutsche Fahrradwerke AG, Scherer & Trier, and Weltbild
    • Strategic bidder Chiho-Tiande Group in the acquisition of Scholz Group, acquiring the target by way of a debt-to-equity swap out-of-court

    Insolvency Administrators

    • Administrator of Air Berlin on its claims against shareholder Etihad
    • Administrator of Schneider Versand / creatrade on sale to Klingel

    Qualifications

    Bar Qualification

    • Rechtsanwalt (Germany)

    Education

    • Second German State Exam, Higher Regional Court, Hamburg, 2000
    • LLM, University of San Diego School of Law, 1998
    • First German State Exam, University of Hamburg, 1995

    Practices

    Industries

    News & Insights

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