Jörg Rehder

M&A and Corporate Law

Jörg Rehder represents buyers or sellers in cross-border acquisitions and divestitures. These transactions are typically in the EUR 5.0 million to EUR 150 million range. He negotiates and prepares agreements in both English and German.  Jörg covers all facets of an M&A transaction from the initial confidentiality agreement to the post-closing integration stage.

Business and Commercial Law

Jörg routinely advises corporate clients on “day-to-day” legal matters, such as on distribution or sales representative matters, general terms and conditions, asset purchase agreements for individual assets as well as on other corporate matters (e.g., manufacturing, licensing, and transfer technology agreements).

Employment Law

Jörg’s sub-specialty is employment law. This practice involves everything from advising on works councils matters, drafting employment agreements, works agreements, severance agreements as well as advising on immigration matters.

Industry focus

Pharmaceuticals, Construction, Paper, Biotechnology, Computers, Media & Entertainment, Service, Food, Manufacturing and Automation Technology

Jörg has represented clients on the following M&A and corporate matters:

• Represented a U.S. publicly-held entity in two separate 100% M&A stock acquisitions of German corporations, one of which involved the acquisition of also a U.S. subsidiary
• Represented a U.S. publicly-held entity on the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of a German corporation
• Represented a California-based venture capital fund to acquire a German GmbH as a portfolio company
• Represented and advised Seller in the animal DNA sector in an M&A transaction to sell the shares of a German entity (with German and Vermont subsidiaries) and an Austrian entity to a Dutch strategic investor
• Served as local German counsel to a US private equity fund that sold a US portfolio company holding two German subsidiaries
• Represented a Pennsylvania-based private equity firm in the acquisition of a German privately-held manufacturing company
• Represented the shareholder of a German manufacturing company (with a US subsidiary) and a Swiss company on the sale of shares to a German private equity fund
• Represented a California-based corporation on the acquisition of a Swiss corporation, with subsidiaries in Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Poland, and Austria (coordinated and worked closely together with local counsel in each jurisdiction outside of Germany)
• Represented the German subsidiary of a US-based corporation to transfer assets to a buyer in Finland
• Advised Simpson Manufacturing, Inc., a US-based publicly-held entity in the construction industry, on three separate acquisitions of German privately-held entities (one of which had production facilities in Ireland)
• Representing an Ohio-based corporation on German and European commercial sales and distribution matters (distribution agreements, general terms and conditions, marketing and supply agreements, etc.)

Selected Publications

• The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Relation to German and US Law Regarding the Failure of Performance; COVuR September, 2020, pp. 459-465 (with Dominik Schmidt (Schiedermair))
• Hamburg Court Decision Puts Onus on Buyers to Conduct Proper Due Diligence Investigations in M&A Transactions (co-author with Dr. Andreas Ripken (Schiedermair)); ABA Section of International Law; International M&A and Joint Ventures Committee Newsletter; October 16, 2015, pp. 12-14
• Managing Corruption Risk in Mergers and Acquisitions: Why Pay Good Money for Someone Else‘s Problem? (co-author with Derek Devgun (Medtronic, Inc.)); ZDAR-Zeitschrift für Deutsches und Amerikanisches Recht; Quarter 3, 2014, pp. 105-108

Selected Speaking Engagements

• Watch out! Whistleblowers are Everywhere! (American Bar Association 2017 Fall Meeting in Miami, Florida; October 26, 2017)
• You Want to Rely on my What? Reliance Letters and Release Letter in M&A Transactions (American Bar Association 2017 Spring Meeting in Washington, D.C.; April 27, 2017)
• Die Tochtergesellschaft in den USA und Kanada, erfolgreich gründen – professionell führen – und effektiv steuern (Subsidiaries in the United States and Canada, successful formation – professional management – and effective operation) (Intensive seminar by Management Circle, Frankfurt, Germany, October 10-12, 2016)
• The Predominant Role of the U.S. Legal Culture in the European M&A and Commercial World. A Jolly Good Development? (AIJA International Association of Young Lawyers, 53rd Congress, London; September 2, 2015)
• OK, We Have to Observe the FCPA . . . But That’s It, Isn’t It? (American Bar Association 2014 Fall Meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina; October 21-25, 2014)
• FCPA and Anti-Corruption for the Life Sciences Industry: Managing Corruption Risk in a Transactional Setting (sponsored by American Conference Institute; New York; May 14-15, 2013)

• Former Co-Chair, Europe Committee of Section of International Law of American Bar Association
• American Bar Association
• German-American Lawyers‘ Association
• DACH (Europäische Anwaltsvereinigung – European Lawyers‘ Association)

Jörg has been a German Attorney at Law since 2007 and a Partner at SCHIEDERMAIR in Frankfurt since 2013.

Jörg is admitted to the Maryland (since 1990) and Minnesota (since 1995) Bars. He is one of a handful of US-trained lawyers that is fully licensed as a German Attorney at Law (Rechtsanwalt).

Before joining SCHIEDERMAIR, Jörg practiced at the Frankfurt office of JONES DAY (from 2001 to 2013) concentrating on M&A, commercial, data privacy, and employment matters. Prior to that, he practiced in the Minneapolis, Minnesota and Frankfurt offices of FAEGRE & BENSON LLP, now FAEGRE DRINKER (from 1995 to 2001), also concentrating on M&A, corporate, and US securities law. Jörg began his legal career at the German law firm of GLEISS, LUTZ (from 1992 to 1995) in Stuttgart and Berlin, focusing on corporate law and foreign investment into Germany.

Jörg earned his Juris Doctor (JD) as well as his Master of Arts (MA – International Economics) at the University of Denver in 1988 and 1989, respectively. He earned his undergraduate degree (BA – Economics) at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois in 1984. He also completed a program in International Studies at the McGeorge School of Law (Salzburg, Austria) from 1991 to 1992.