Event Report

The Legal 500 was delighted to be back in Frankfurt to launch the 1^st edition of the GC Summit DACH 2022 on Thursday 22^nd September.

The event was a great success. It gathered leading general counsel and private practice practitioners from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, to exchange their views on various key topics affecting companies and investors operating in the DACH region. After a full day of exceptional panel discussions, attendees continued the conversation over a glass of wine and canapes and enjoyed a valuable networking opportunity. A very fruitful event at the Scandic Frankfurt Museumsufer!

Timo Spitzer, Executive Director and Head of Legal at Santander for Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Nordic Countries opened the Summit with an inspirational keynote speech on the evolution of in-house departments and the role of GC over the past few years, preparing the ground for the first panel session of the day. The discussion, led by Dr. Daniel Zapf and Dr. Sanja Hoffmann, both partners at White and Case, focused on the challenges legal and compliance departments are facing with the emergence of ESG and how the framework is increasingly developing beyond reporting obligations from ‘soft’ to ‘hard’ law.

The session which followed was chaired by Lisa Urbas, of PHH Rechtsanwälte. Lisa and Timo Spitzer discussed how in-house counsel could support corporate initiatives and lead their organisation’s sustainable finance strategy.

Sylvia Fiebig, of White and Case, hosted the third panel, which covered the topic of restructuring and insolvency in the DACH region. With the global economy having to significantly scale down prior to growth predictions, Sylvia noted in-house counsel are turning to law firms for advice on how to help their companies respond to these challenging times. The panel explained the procedures of handling internal and external insolvency as well as the potential restructuring options that are currently available.

Dr. Maria Boerner, of Allen & Overy (Frankfurt) Dr. Thomas Müller, of Walder Wyss (Zürich), then sat to share their views on social corporate responsibility, explaining how its requirements would shape the corporate legal department of the future. They also discussed why, in their opinion, a sound corporate culture should focus on promoting a pleasant work environment and at the same time inspire the companies to achieve a greater goal for the whole society.

In the fifth session, brought by Daniel Froesch, partner at Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek, the panellists shared their expert opinion on sanctions regimes and their effects in today’s interconnected world.

To conclude the Summit, Oliver Künzler, partner and head practice group corporate and commercial at Wenger Plattner, moderated a panel that explored the likely trends in the DACH region’s M&A markets for 2022, provided practical advice for both general counsel and investors and considered the opportunities that the region’s booming tech scene is offering to companies looking for high-potential businesses opportunities.

Thank you again to our panellists for sharing their insights, and special thanks to Endress and Hauser, Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek, PHH Rechtsanwälte, Walder Wyss, Wenger Plattner, and White & Case for being such reliable partners.

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