Dr. Bernd Meyer-Löwy is Counsel in Quinn Emanuel’s Munich office. He joined the firm in 2024.
Bernd has more than 25 years of experience in advising on complex cross-border restructurings and insolvencies. His clients include creditors, particularly banks, investors, restructuring advisors, debtors, and insolvency administrators in international restructurings and insolvency proceedings. He is a certified specialist in insolvency law as well as a certified specialist in tax law.
Bernd was a partner at Kirkland & Ellis, Linklaters, Oppenhoff & Rädler, and has worked as an insolvency administrator. He founded the German restructuring practice at Kirkland & Ellis and established it as one of the leading practice groups in the German market. He has been involved in all major cross border restructuring and insolvency cases.
Legal 500, JUVE, Chambers Global, Chambers Europe, and IFLR 1000 list him as one of the leading German insolvency lawyers.
- Venator Materials, PLC on their prepackaged Chapter 11 in Texas
- Oakley Capital on the extension of their investment in IU Group
- Avaya Holdings Corp. and its affiliates in their prepackaged Chapter 11 cases
- Beautiful Mind Capital in connection with the financial restructuring of Cordenka
- Defending former Neckermann supervisory board members against claims for damages by the insolvency administrator
- Ad hoc group of holders of senior notes issued by Wirecard AG
- Galapagos, a European provider of heat exchange and machine cooling systems, in relation to its financial restructuring
- Gordon Brothers on a EUR 100 million ABL facility to a German hypermarket chain
- Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. and certain subsidiaries in their Chapter 11 cases
- Member of creditors’ committee and appointed joint representative of the bondholders of Air Berlin PLC
- Advice to the largest secured creditor of the SolarWorld group; largest lender in out-of-court restructuring
- A.T.U on their cross-border financial restructuring and subsequent sale to Mobivia
- Tele Columbus in connection with a scheme of arrangement restructuring
- Ad hoc committee of SynLoan I lenders in insolvency proceedings of IVG Immobilien AG
- Rodenstock GmbH on the restructuring of its capital structure
- Tronox, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates in their chapter 11 restructuring
- Oaktree Capital as a principal investor/first lien lender party of the Almatis group
- Mezzanine lenders in the restructuring of JOST World group
- Lear Corporation in its prearranged chapter 11 reorganization
- TallyGenicom in its chapter 11 restructuring
- Member of creditors’ committee and advice to the bondholders of Escada AG
- Dura Automotive Systems, Inc. in its chapter 11 reorganization
- Member of creditors’ committee and advice to the second lien lenders of Schieder Möbel AG
- Advice to the creditors of Lehman Brothers Europe Limited
- Member of creditors’ committee and advice to the second lien lenders of TMD Friction GmbH
- Insolvency administrator in the disposal of ATS to UNIWHEELS group
- Ad hoc bondholders’ committee of Schefenacker
- Joint administrators of Collins & Aikman Europe: administration and sale of German Collins & Aikman business
- Treofan group: additional facilities and financial restructuring
- Viacom in the insolvency proceedings of KirchMedia
- Member of creditors’ committee and advice to the security agent of Callahan Ish
- Accounting & Financial Reporting Litigation
- Bankruptcy & Restructuring
- Corporate Governance Litigation
- Global Asset Recovery Practice
- Investigations, Government Enforcement & White Collar Criminal Defense Practice
- Lender Liability & Other Banking Financial Institution Litigation
- Ruhr-Universität Bochum
(Dr. jur., 2000) - Higher Regional Court of Düsseldorf
(Second State Examination, 1997) - Ruhr-Universität Bochum
(First State Examination, 1994) - Ruhr-Universität Bochum
(Law Degree, 1993)
- Germany Bar
- Fachanwalt für Insolvenzrecht (Insolvency Lawyer)
- Fachanwalt für Steuerrecht (Tax Lawyer)
- English
- German
- Kirkland & Ellis, Munich, Germany:
- Restructuring Group, 2006-2024
- Linklaters, Cologne, Germany:
- Restructuring and Insolvency Group, 1998–2006
- Linklaters, London, UK:
- Restructuring and Insolvency Group, 2000–2001
- Ranked by Legal 500, JUVE, Chambers Global, Chambers Europe, IFLR 1000 as one of the leading German restructuring and insolvency lawyers
Publications
- Zum Begriff der „Hauptniederlassung“ einer selbständig gewerblich oder freiberuflich tätigen natürlichen Person (EuGH, Urt. V. 19.9.2024 – C-501/23), ZIP, 2024/42, p. 245
- Keine gruppenübergreifende Mehrheitsentscheidung bei lediglich zwei Gesellschaftergruppen in Restrukturierungsplan, EWiR, 11/2023, p. 343
- Inkongruenter Vollstreckungsdruck durch englische Worldwide Freezing Order, EWiR, 12/2022, p. 375
- Zum anzuwendenden Recht bei Anfechtung einer Zahlung des Insolvenzschuldners als Dritter zur Erfüllung einer vertraglichen Verpflichtung, EWiR, 12/2021, p. 369
- Die Prüfung der Zahlungsunfähigkeit unter besonderer Berücksichtigung prognostischer Elemente, ZIP, 2019, p. 2143 (co-author with Josef Parzinger and Johannes Lappe)
- Landmark court opinion increases liability risk profile for German portfolio company management, Pratt’s Journal of Bankruptcy Law, 3/2018, p. 136–142 (co-author with Carl Pickerill)
- German insolvency avoidance action reform and its impact on financial and trade creditors, The Banking Law Journal, 6/2017, p. 359–365 (co-author with Carl Pickerill)
- Das Verwertungsrecht des Insolvenzverwalters bei verpfändeten Geschäftsanteilen, GmbHR, 18/2016, p. 953 (co-author with Carl Pickerill)
- Neue Anforderungen an Überbrückungskredite? – Anmerkung zu KG WM 2016, 1073, WM, 27/2016, p. 1269 (co-author with Alexander Längsfeld and Wolfgang Nardi)
- Zur Insolvenzfestigkeit von Lizenzen an US-amerikanischen Patenten („Qimonda AG”), ZIP, 5/2015, p. 235 (co-author with Josef Parzinger)
- Der erforderliche Umfang der Gesellschafterfinanzierung zwecks Abwendung der Insolvenz, ZIP, 51–52/2014, p. 2478 (co-author with Ksenia Shubina and Jens M. Schmidt)
- Versperrt das Gesellschaftsrecht den rechtzeitigen Weg in die Sanierung? Eine Betrachtung zu den Auswirkungen des § 18 InsO auf den Konflikt zwischen Unternehmenserhaltungspflicht undfrühzeitigen Sanierungsmaßnahmen, GmbHR, 20/2013, p. 1065–1075 (co-author with Carl Pickerill)
- Directors’ “Twilight Zone” Project, INSOL, 2001, updated 2013
- Das Insolvenzverfahren in Sachen Dailycer oder: Wie viel Gläubigermitbestimmung ermöglicht das ESUG?, ZIP, 50/2012, p. 2432–2435 (co-author with Martin Ströhmann)
- Beratung der Gläubiger einer GmbH in Krise und Insolvenz nach dem ESUG, GmbHRundschau, 08/2012, p. 432–439 (co-author with Florian Bruder)
- Germany’s revised bankruptcy code, TheDeal.com, January 12th 2012 (co-author with Leo Plank, Jonathan S. Henes and Carl Pickerill)
- Zahlungsfähigkeit und positive Fortführungsprognose auch bei Vorlage eines Scheme of Arrangement, ZInsO, 15–16/2011, p. 662–666 (co-author with Susanne Fritz)
- Aufgeschobene Gläubigerautonomie bei Unternehmensveräußerung vor dem Berichtstermin, ZInsO, 14/2011, p. 613–614
- Business Laws of Germany 2009 Edition
- Directors’ “Twilight Zone” Project, INSOL, 2001, updated 2009 Die Gläubigerausschussmitgliedschaft - nur für besicherte Großgläubiger?, NZI, 10/2008, p. VI
- Practitioners Guide to Corporate Restructuring, 2008
- Entbehrlichkeit des Sekundärinsolvenzverfahrens bei flexibler Verteilung der Insolvenzmasse im Hauptinsolvenzverfahren?, NZI, 11/2006, p. 622–624
- Einführung in das US-amerikanische Insolvenzrecht, ZInsO, 14/2005, p. 735–740
- Neue Rechtsprechung zur Insolvenzverwalterhaftung im Überblick, ZInsO, 13/2005, p. 691–695
- Einführung in das englische Insolvenzrecht, ZInsO, 6/2005, p. 293–298
- Schranken und Beschränkbarkeit der Insolvenzverwalterhaftung aus §§ 60, 61 InsO, ZInsO, 7/2004, p. 363–368
- Eigenverwaltung (§§ 270 ff. InsO) löst Kompetenzkonflikt nach der EuInsVO, ZInsO, 4/2004, p. 195–198
- Eigenkapitalersetzende Sicherheiten und Überschuldung, ZIP 2003, p. 1920
- Unternehmenskauf vom „starken” vorläufigen Insolvenzverwalter, ZIP 2002, p. 2162
- Verlorener Zuschuss, „Feuerwehrfonds in der Insolvenz”, Financial Times Deutschland, November 11th 2003
- BGH verbietet „halbstarken” Insolvenzverwalter, Financial Times Deutschland, September 24th 2002
- Directors’ “Twilight Zone” Project, INSOL, 2001
- Das Auskunftsrecht des Aktionärs in der Hauptversammlung bei Fragenkatalogen und Massenauskünften, Munich, 2000
- Human aspects of insolvency, AEPPC Paris, 2000 Registration of merger resolution despite a pending action to set-aside, IFLR, 1999
Seminars
- Speaker at the abiLIVE Faculty webinar series “Directors’ Duties Across Borders in the Insolvency Zone, Episode 1: Europe,” online, October 2023
- Speaker at the Arbeitskreis für Insolvenzwesen Köln e.V. regarding licenses in insolvency, Cologne, May 2012
- Speaker at the Turnaround Management Association (TMA) seminar on licenses in insolvency, Munich, January 2012
- Speaker at the Transatlantic Deals & Disputes Conference: How to avoid shipwrecks in U.S.-German business, Frankfurt, June 2010
- Speaker at the 6th Annual Distressed Debt Conference, London, June 2009
- Speaker at the 3rd Annual Distressed Debt & Restructurings Seminar, Frankfurt, January 2008
- Speaker at AlixPartners’ Münchner Restrukturierungsforum regarding distressed debt, Munich, October 2006
- Speaker at the 2nd Annual European Distressed Debt Summit regarding cross-border and multi-jurisdictional distressed debt and insolvencies, Frankfurt, September 2006
- Speaker at AlixPartners’ Frankfurter Restrukturierungsforum regarding distressed debt, Frankfurt, September 2006
- Speaker at AlixPartners’ Restrukturierungsforum Rhein Ruhr regarding distressed debt, Cologne, August 2006
- Speaker at the European & Cross Border Distressed Debt Investing Forum, London, April 2006
- Speaker at INSOL 2005, 7th World Congress, Sydney, regarding cash-movements among distressed group companies, March 2005
- Speaker at the symposium “Internationales Insolvenzrecht” regarding cross-border insolvencies in particular under the EU-Insolvency Regulations, February 2004
- Speaker at the ConVent seminar “Buy-Out von Unternehmen und Unternehmensteilen aus der Insolvenz” (“Distressed M&A”), November 2002
- Speaker at a seminar of a German-wide purchasing organisation regarding the exposure of customers in the insolvency of their suppliers, 2001
- Arbeitskreis für Insolvenzwesen Köln e.V.