Dr. Thyl Haßler

Partner, Düsseldorf

Biography

Overview

Thyl advises national and international corporations and financial sponsors particularly in the energy/infrastructure and chemicals sector on domestic and cross-border private and public M&A transactions, take-over law, the formation of domestic and cross-border joint ventures as well as strategic alliances. Thyl has comprehensive experience in managing large multinational M&A / joint venture transactions and in coordinating multinational teams across multiple jurisdictions and time zones.

Furthermore, Thyl advises stock listed companies and their corporate bodies in all matters relating to core corporate law.

Bars and Courts
Rechtsanwalt
Education
Dr jur
University of Cologne
Second State Exam
Higher Regional Court Düsseldorf
First State Exam
University of Cologne
Maîtrise en Droit
University Paris I - Panthéon/Sorbonne
LLM
Universities Cologne and Paris I - Panthéon/Sorbonne
Languages
German
English
French

Experience

TotalEnergies
Representation of TotalEnergies on its acquisition of Kyon Energy, one of the leading developers of large scale battery storage systems in Germany.

Enpal
Representation of Enpal on Equitix and Keppel's acquisition of a majority stake in one of Enpal's energy system portfolios (including over 60,000 renewable energy solutions with a combined generation capacity of around 550 MWp. The photovoltaic solutions also include more than 50,000 battery storage systems and more than 25,000 charging stations for electric vehicles).

Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners (MSIP)
Representation of Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners (MSIP) in the (indirect) sale of shares in VTG AG (VTG) to a consortium of Global Infrastructure Partners and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) valuing VTG with approx. EUR 7bn.

Prax Group
Advised Prax Group, a multinational, independent energy group on its acquisition of a 37.5 percent interest in PCK Raffinerie GmbH (PCK) and its associated logistics assets from Shell Deutschland GmbH. PCK is one of Germany's largest refineries and a national strategic asset, responsible for supplying approximately 90 percent of the gasoline, jet fuel, diesel and fuel oil in Berlin and Brandenburg, and servicing the broader East German region. Additionally, the refinery plays a crucial role supplying oil products to Poland, and other neighbouring European countries.

Advised Prax Group, a multinational, independent energy group on its acquisition of OIL! Tankstellen GmbH, a petrol station operator with subsidiaries and activities in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Denmark, from Mabanaft GmbH & Co. KG, an energy company belonging to the Marquard & Bahls Group.

SigmaRoc
Advised SigmaRoc plc on the acquisition of CRH plc's European lime businesses for a total deal value of approximately €1 billion.

Ardian
Representation of international private investment house Ardian on the sale 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, to private equity company Adagia Partners.

Forterro
Representation of Forterro, a European group of ERP software companies backed by Battery Ventures, on its acquisition of abas Software AG.

Institutional investors advised by the Global Infrastructure group at J.P. Morgan Asset Management
Representation of institutional investors advised by the Global Infrastructure group at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, on its acquisition of GETEC, one of Europe's leading sustainable energy service companies for real estate and industrial customers (including related acquisition financing at both senior and junior levels).

Statkraft
Representation of Statkraft on the acquisition of the Breeze Three wind portfolio. The Breeze Three portfolio comprises 38 wind farms in Germany and four wind farms in France with a total capacity of over 350 MW.

Valedo Partners
Representation of Valedo Partners and its portfolio company Norva24 group (market leader in the Underground Infrastructure Maintenance) on several M&A transactions.

aamundo Real Estate Group
Representation of aamundo Real Estate Group on the setting-up of a joint venture with Angelo Gordon to establish an investment platform for value-added real estate in the logistics and light industrial sectors in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

Cobepa
Representation of Cobepa on its EUR 1.5 billion disposal of Hillebrand AG to Deutsche Post.

Synthos S.A.
Representation of Synthos S.A., a key player in the global synthetic rubber market, on the US$ 449.4 million acquisition of Trinseo's synthetic rubber operations, including manufacturing and research and development facilities.

Swiss Life
Advising Swiss Life in a complex bidding process for the acquisition of Ferngas-group from First Sentier Investors.

Ancala Partners
Representation of Ancala Partners, a leading UK-based independent infrastructure investment firm, on its acquisition of Hector Rail, the largest private freight train operator in Scandinavia, which also has operations in Germany.

Quad-C/AIT Worldwide Logistics
Representation of Quad-C and its portfolio company AIT Worldwide Logistics within the acquisition of FIEGE Group's international freight forwarding division, Fiege Forwarding, consisting of numerous companies in Europe and Asia and Quad-C's $1.2 billion sale of AIT Worldwide Logistics to The Jordan Company.

x+bricks group
Representation of x+bricks group on the approximately EUR 500 million acquisition of 120 grocery-anchored properties from TLG Immobilien AG and its subsidiaries. The acquisition is one of the largest portfolio transactions of grocery-anchored properties ever executed in Germany.

DIC Corporation
Representation of DIC Corporation within the acquisition of BASF's global pigments business (EUR 1.15 billion).

Chinese state fund
Representation of a Chinese state fund in a bid process in relation to the contemplated acquisition of an energy and waste recycling company (EUR 1.4 billion).*

DUSSUR (Saudi Arabian Industrial Investments Company)
Representation of DUSSUR (Saudi Arabian Industrial Investments Company) on a USD 267 million strategic joint venture with General Electric to manufacture gas turbines in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.*

Corestate Capital Holding S.A.
Representation of Corestate Capital within a mandatory public takeover offer and a voluntary public purchase offer in relation to leading student housing company YOUNIQ AG (including subsequent squeeze out by merger).*

Representation of Corestate Capital Holding S.A. within the formation of an international joint venture with Inmobiliaria Espacio and OHL Desarrollos in order to establish a real estate platform in Spain.*

Scout24 AG
Representation of Scout24 AG as the target company of a public takeover offer launched by Hellman & Friedman and Blackstone (EUR 5.7 billion).*

Saudi Aramco
Representation of Saudi Aramco on the EUR 1.5 billion acquisition of a 50% interest in the specialty chemicals joint venture ARLANXEO from LANXESS to become sole shareholder of ARLANXEO.*

Kontron AG
Representation of Kontron AG, a stock listed leading global manufacturer of computer technology within a complex corporate reorganization (including merger onto S&T Deutschland Holding AG, a wholly-owned subsidiary of TecDax-listed S&T AG, with cash compensation for shareholders).*

Several DAX30, M-DAX and S-DAX-companies
Advise of several DAX30, M-DAX and S-DAX-companies and their corporate bodies, on stock corporation law matters, within the preparation and conduct of (critical) shareholder meetings, in relation to corporate governance aspects and compliance matters as well as in relation to capital market law aspects.*

*Matters prior to working for White & Case

Publications

Haßler: OLG Hamm.: Liability of supervisory board members of a stock company for refraining from asserting damage claims against board members (Haftung von Aufsichtsratsmitgliedern einer Aktiengesellschaft wegen unterlassener Geltendmachung von Schadensersatzansprüchen gegen Mitglieder des Vorstands), GWR, 2022, p. 254

Haßler: OLG Frankfurt a. M.: Appointment of a board member of a stock company as director of a subsidiary of the stock company (Bestellung des Vorstands einer AG zum Geschäftsführer einer Tochter-GmbH), GWR, 2022, p. 225

Haßler: OLG Frankfurt a. M.: Liquidity of shares as consideration pursuant to § 31 II 1 WpÜG (Liquidität von Aktien als Gegenleistung im Sinne von § 31 II 1 WpÜG), GWR, 2021, p. 167

Haßler: Liability of the chairman of the supervisory board as unauthorized agent for conclusion of management services agreements with board members (Bestehen von Schadensersatzansprüchen gegen einen Aufsichtsratsvorsitzenden als Vertreter ohne Vertretungsmacht beim Abschluss von Vorstandsdienstverträgen), GWR 2020, p. 245

Daghles/Haßler, Duties of corporate bodies in the Corona pandemic (Organpflichten im Lichte der Corona-Pandemie), BB 2020, p. 1032 et seq.

Haßler/Daghles: Key features of public M&A in Germany (Grundzüge Public M&A in Deutschland), M&A Review 1-2/2020, p. 10 et seq.

Daghles/Haßler: Post M&A-Litigation – typical situations of potentially controversial complexes in M&A transactions (Post M&A-Litigation – Ausgewählte Fallkonstellationen potenziell streitanfälliger Komplexe im Rahmen von M&A Transaktionen), M&A Review 4/2019, p. 90 et seq.

Haßler: Fundamental decision of the German Federal Court on acting on concert – determination of the case-by-case exemption based on formal criteria (Grundsatzurteil zum Acting in Concert – Bestimmung der Einzelfallausnahme nach formalen Kriterien); BB 2018, p. 2964

Daghles/Haßler: The role of the Board and Supervisory Board within the scope of M&A-transactions (Die Rolle von Vorstand und Aufsichtsrat im Rahmen von M&A-Transaktionen), M&A Review 11/2018, p. 393 et seq.

Haßler / Wittgens: The framework of break-fee agreements in M&A transactions under stock corportation law (AktienrechtlicheRahmenbedingungen von Break-Fee-Vereinbarungen bei M&A-Transaktionen), BB 2018, p. 2178 et seq.

Haßler: Sources of information of the Supervisory Board within the determination of violations of duties of care by the Management Board (Informationsquellen des Aufsichtsrats bei der Ermittlung haftungsrelevanter Sorgfaltsverletzungen des Vorstands), BB 2017, p. 1603 et seq.

Daghles/Haßler: Accounts Warranty in M&A-transactions – practical implications of the decision of the Higher Regional Court Frankfurt am Main (Bilanzgarantien in M&A-Transaktionen – Praktische Auswirkungen des Urteils des OLG Frankfurt am Main), M&A Review 2017, p. 241

Haßler / Punte: Claim to receive a cash compensation after a squeeze out terminates upon handing over of the share certificate to the main shareholder (Verbriefung des Anspruchs auf Barabfindung nach Squeeze-out endet mit Aushändigung der Aktienurkunde an den Hauptaktionär), GWR, 2017, p. 137 et seq.

Daghles/Haßler: Warranty & Indemnity-Insurances within the scope of corporate transactions (Warranty & Indemnity-Versicherungen im Rahmen von Unternehmenstransaktionen), GWR, 2016, p. 455

Daghles / Haßler: Resignation of the sole director of a stock company will not take place at an inoportune moment, if stock company stays capable of acting (Amtsniederlegung des Alleinvorstands einer AG erfolgt nicht zur Unzeit, wenn die AG handlungsfähig bleibt), GWR, 2016, p. 358

Eichner / Haßler: Concerning the liability of a reorganistation-manager for payments after company falls factually insolvent (Zur Haftung des Sanierungs-Geschäftsführers für Zahlungen nach Insolvenzreife), EWiR 2016, p. 493 et seq.

Haßler: Insiderlists according to Art. 18 MAR and their practical handling (Insiderlisten gem.Art. 18 MMVO und ihre praktische Handhabung), DER BETRIEB 2016, p. 1920 et seq.

Haßler: Applicability of Sec. 93 para 4 sent. 3 AktG within the merger of two stock corporations (Anwendbarkeitvon § 93 Abs. 4 Satz 3 AktG im Rahmen der Verschmelzung zweier Aktiengesellschaften), AG 2016, p. 388 et seq.

Haßler: Concerning the burden of proof in relation to the claim for contributions in the liquidation of a limited partnership (Zur Darlegungslast bei Einforderung der Einlageschuld in der Liquidation der KG), EWiR 2016, p. 203 et seq.

Haßler:The vacant chairman of the Supervisory Board in light of Sec. 80 AktG (Der vakante Aufsichtsratsvorsitz im Licht von §80 AktG), BB 2016,p. 461 et seq.

Haßler: Concering the adequacy of the cash compensation after a squeeze out to the benefit of the SoFFin ("HRE") (ZurAngemessenheit der Barabfindungnach Squeeze-out zu Gunsten desSoFFin ("HRE")), EWiR 2015, p. 733 et seq.

Haßler: The first announcement of the intention to implement a squeeze out is the determinative reference date for the compensation (Erstmalige Bekanntgabe der Absicht eines Squeeze-out ist für Abfindung maßgeblicher Stichtag), GWR, 2015, p. 342 et seq.

Haßler: In the event of conflictive shareholders, the court is entitled to appoint candidates for the supervisory board which have not been proposed by the parties (Bei zerstrittenen Aktionärskreisen können auch von den Beteiligten nicht vorgeschlagene Aufsichtsratsmitglieder vom Gerichtbestellt werden), GWR, 2015, p. 229 et seq.

Haßler: Liability of the limited partnership vis-à-vis a quasi shareholder trustor for the payment of settlement compensation (Haftung der KG gegenüber einem Quasi-Gesellschafter-Treugeber auf Zahlung eines Abfindungsguthabens), EWiR 2015, p. 371 et seq.

Haßler: Investigation duties of the Supervisory Board in the event of indications for violations of duties of care by the Management Board considering the ARAG/Garmenbeck-decision (Ermittlungspflichten des Aufsichtsrats bei Anhaltspunkten fürSorgfaltspflichtverletzungen des Vorstands unter Berücksichtigung der ARAG/Garmenbeck-Entscheidung), Ph.D Thesis, Publishing House Dr. Kovač, 2014

Awards and Recognition

Recognized for Energy transactions, The Legal 500 EMEA 2020, Germany