Associé
Nikolai Sokolov
Private Equity, Mergers & Acquisitions, Banking & Finance, Restructuring, Real Estate Finance
Aperçu
Nikolai Sokolov advises private equity and strategic investors on domestic and cross-border M&A transactions, acting for buyers and sellers alike. His work centers on leveraged buyouts (LBOs), management buyouts (MBOs), co-investments, carve-outs, and joint ventures.
Working at the intersection of M&A and debt finance, he also advises on the structuring and execution of acquisition and real estate financings, as well as on the refinancing of existing facilities. He handles complex restructurings, including proceedings under the German restructuring framework (StaRUG), reorganizations, and corporate restructurings.
Nikolai has extensive experience with management equity and incentive programs — including MEPs, MIPs, and ESOPs — and with shareholders’ agreements. A further focus of his practice is advising on all aspects of warranty and indemnity (W&I) insurance in M&A transactions. He also acts for venture capital investors and business angels.
He advises clients across a broad range of sectors, including technology — medtech and software in particular — business services, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, defense, infrastructure, and real estate. He has completed secondments both in the legal department of an international company and with the investment team of a real estate investor.
Expérience
Advised:
- Dürr AG and Dürr Technologies GmbH on the acquisition of BBS Automation Group from a portfolio company of funds managed by EQT and other shareholders.*
- M+W Group GmbH and Stumpf group the direct and indirect shareholders of Exyte group, on their sale of a minority participation in Exyte group to finds managed by BDT Capital Partners.*
- Lennox International Inc. on the carve-out and the disposal of its European heating, ventilation and air conditioning as well as its refrigeration divisions to funds managed by Syntagma Capital.*
- The shareholders and management team of Nexogen group on the sale of Nexogen to, and re-investment in, Transporeon group, a participation of Hg Capital.*
- Adagia Partners on the acquisition alongside the Schwind Family and management of Schwind eye-tech solutions GmbH, one of the world’s leading specialists in laser systems for the treatment of vision defects and corneal diseases, from a portfolio company of funds managed by Ardian and other shareholders.*
- Chequers Capital on its acquisiton of Corning Services GmbH.*
- iCON Infrastructure Partners V on the acquisition of a controlling interest in three German fiber-related businesses, ropa GmbH & Co. KG, NGN Telecom GmbH and Wisotel GmbH.*
- AKASOL AG on the public takeover by BorgWarner.*
- ETERNA Mode Holding GmbH and funds managed by Quadriga Capital, as ETERNA’s main shareholder, on the refinancing of ETERNA group, co-investment by Robus Capital and the restructuring of the financing under the German Act on Stabilization and Restructuring Framework for Businesses (StaRUG).*
- Herzschlag Eintracht GmbH on its acquisition of five percent of shares in Eintracht Frankfurt Fußball AG and the shareholders’ agreements in connection therewith.*
Formation
- Higher Regional Court of Berlin, Legal Clerkship (Referendariat) and Second State Exam in Law
- Berlin, First State Law Exam in Law
- Humboldt University of Berlin, Study of Law
Inscription au Barreau
- Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Langues
- Anglais
- Allemand
- Russe
- Ukrainien