Dr Sönke Becker
Sönke routinely advises multinationals on complex cross border situations, such as transactions, joint ventures and corporate law issues.
Sönke routinely advises multinationals on cross border transactions, joint ventures and corporate law issues, including corporate governance and compliance as well as corporate reorganisations and restructurings. Sönke's sector focus covers regulated industries (such as aviation and defence), infrastructure, construction as well as general industries. He co-chairs Herbert Smith Freehills’ global Manufacturing & Industrials sector group.
Since 2009, Sönke Becker is continuously recommended for M&A and Corporate law by Chambers, the JUVE Handbook, The Legal 500 Germany, Best Lawyers/Handelsblatt as well as Wirtschaftswoche. According to those sources, clients in particular value Sönke's commercial mind-set and his strength in negotiations. He has been recently described as "an incredibly good strategic lawyer, a good team player and it's great fun working with him" (Chambers Global).
Background
Sönke Becker graduated from the Freie Universität Berlin and further studied at Tulane Law School and, as Fulbright Scholar, at Virginia Law School. He holds a Doctor of Laws (Dr. iur.) from the Freie Universität Berlin and a Master of Laws from the University of Virginia. Soenke is admitted to practice in Germany and New York.
Before joining Herbert Smith Freehills in 2016, Sönke was a partner in a leading global law firm for nearly 10 years where he chaired the Corporate/M&A practice in the EMEA region.
Experience & expertise
Selected matters
- Deutsche Lufthansa group most recently on the sale of LSG Group to private equity investor Aurelius Group (global business) and to airline caterer gategroup (European business), and including further cross border transactions (e.g. acquisition of brussels airlines, acquisition of significant interest in bmi from SAS or divestiture of bmi group to IAG) as well as contractual aspects of pilot dispute
- Rheinmetall on the acquisition of EXPAL Systems, a globally active ammunition maker
- Softbank Group on its investment into German mobile phone digital growth company 1NCE
- SoftBank Robotics Group on the sale of its French subsidiary SoftBank Robotics Europe to United Robotics Group
- flaschenpost on its sale to Dr. Oetker group, one of the largest ever VC exits in Germany
- ADO Properties with respect to the sale of a significant real estate portfolio to Gewobag (largest re-municipalization of private housing in Berlin so far)
- Deutsche Post DHL on various transactions (buy side)
- thyssenkrupp Marine Systems on joint venture with Kongsberg Group regarding production and sale of submarine fleet to Norwegian navy
- Atlas Elektronik (a ThyssenKrupp/Airbus joint venture) on various transactions and corporate matters
- InfraVia Capital Partners on the creation of a 50/50 joint venture with Liberty Global Ventures, the investment arm of Liberty Global, one of the world's leading converged video, broadband and communications companies, to set up fibre-to-the-home networks in Germany
- Fujitec on divestiture of German elevator business
- Hochtief on various disposals, including service solutions business, property management business and offshore business*
- WestLB/Portigon on divestment of non-German subsidiaries and assets, including Banco do Brazil*
- Telefónica on sale of yourfone*
*Prior to joining Herbert Smith Freehills
Sectors
