“Frank is calm and observing but then he is very strong in negotiations.”
Chambers Europe 2022 (Germany)
“A leading figure of his generation.”
Chambers Europe 2019 (Germany)
Band 1 — Restructuring/Insolvency
Chambers Europe 2022 (Germany)
Often Recommended – Insolvency & Restructuring
JUVE 2021/2022
Market Leader – Restructuring & Insolvency
IFLR1000 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 2022 - Band 1 for Restructuring/Insolvency
JUVE 2022/2023 for Restructuring and Insolvency as well as Corporate Law
Handelsblatt Best Lawyers 2022 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 2022 for Restructuring in Germany
The Legal 500 EMEA 2022 for Restructuring
Experience
Mr. Grell’s experience includes advising:
Companies
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
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
Partners Carsten Loll and Frank Grell discuss in the most recent edition of combuyn, opportunities for real estate transactions: "High interest rates are pressuring real estate companies, while creating new opportunities for private equity investors."
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