Can you tell us about your journey to becoming an in-house counsel? What inspired you to pursue a career in this field? 

After passing my second state examination in Frankfurt, I worked as a research assistant at the international law firm Freshfields and at the University of Heidelberg. Simultaneously, I was working on my doctoral thesis in capital markets law.

After that, I worked for four years as an attorney with Freshfields in the areas of corporate and capital markets law. I enjoyed working there very much, but when I was approached by a recruiter to apply for a position in the legal department of Deutsche Börse AG, I didn’t want to miss out on the chance to pursue my two specializations, corporate and capital markets law, and at the same time broaden my legal focus through the opportunity to also work on M&A and VC transactions.

Furthermore, I was interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the structures and decision-making processes within an international and DAX40-listed company, such as Deutsche Börse. Having a broader legal focus as well as the proximity to decision-makers and the chance to closely advise various financial industry entities and business areas continue to appeal to me very much.

In your role as an in-house counsel, what are the main responsibilities and tasks you handle on a day-to-day basis? 

I work in the area of corporate governance, advising the Executive Board and Supervisory Board as well as on the preparation and conduct of the Annual General Meeting of the parent company. Corporate reporting, now taking into account ESG standards, is another focus of my work.

In addition, I provide legal advice on the internal reorganization of group subsidiaries and branches abroad. I assisted with a public takeover and took part in the integration of the target company into the group. I gave legal advice to our treasury team when we financed the takeover by issuing a corporate bond as an electronic security in the amount of EUR 3 billion, the first transaction of its kind and size in Germany. Further, I took part in the negotiations of setting up two joint ventures and advised on the drafting of the corporate documents of the entities. I regularly give advice in corporate law questions to the various subsidiaries and business divisions of the group on an ad-hoc basis. On larger projects and for legal opinions, we work closely with our highly esteemed colleagues of external law firms.

I am an ally of our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council and help organize events in the disabilities’ dimension.

What are some of the key challenges you have faced as a rising star in-house counsel, and how have you overcome them? 

Shortly after I started my position in the legal department, an experienced colleague left the M&A legal team. I took over from him at early-stage negotiations of a term sheet (and later of the long form documentation) of a joint venture of 15 European stock exchange groups. I had little experience in negotiations, let alone with so many representatives of large companies at the same time.

I learned that a meticulous preparation of own positions and arguments as well as a prioritization of own interests is pivotal for successful negotiations and appropriate compromises.

To this end, I worked closely with very experienced colleagues from the group M&A department and the relevant business area. In the intensive exchange with my senior colleagues, I learned to run through various scenarios and to better understand, formulate and, if necessary, assert our own interests and priorities.

What steps have you taken to enhance your professional development and expand your legal skill set?  

I completed a specialist training in commercial and corporate law (120 hours of classes and three exams). Further, I published my doctoral thesis on capital markets law. I also completed courses on private and public M&A, business law as well as banking and capital markets law.

For my professional development, I completed courses on financial markets and in the areas of leadership, organizational behavior and negotiation.