Germany
Practice Areas
Andreas Ziegenhagen is a partner, European head of the Restructuring practice and managing director of Dentons GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft Steuerberatungsgesellschaft. He focuses on providing legal and tax advice on corporate transactions, restructuring and insolvency law, corporate tax law, corporate law, banking law and accounting law.
Andreas also takes on the position of joint representative of bondholders and advises on and coordinates Schuldschein loans in the context of restructurings. He regularly acts as a dual-purpose trustee in restructuring cases as well as a general agent in the context of self-administration proceedings for the purpose of restructuring through insolvency plan proceedings.
In addition, Andreas is one of the few German lawyers who is also an auditor and tax advisor. All key legal rankings guides list him as an outstanding professional in his field. Chambers notes that he is considered “one of the leading advisers for promissory note holders, demonstrating prowess in handling complex restructuring mandates.”
From 2013 to 2024, he was managing partner of Dentons in Germany. He is the editor of the respected insolvency and restructuring journal, ZInsO FOKUS Sanierung (Wolters Kluwer Verlag), and is a member of the Executive Committee of the Insolvency and Restructuring Working Group of the German Bar Association (AGIS DAV).
Career
Dentons Partner since 2006; Haarmann, Hemmelrath & Partner – Head of Corporate Recovery and Insolvency Practice Group (Partner 2001-2005 and Associate 1997-2001); Freie Universität Berlin – Research Assistant Corporate Law (1995-1997).
Professional Memberships
Member of the Executive Committee of the Insolvency and Restructuring Working Group of the German Bar Association (DAV), Berlin/Brandenburger Arbeitskreis für Insolvenzrecht e.V., TMA Germany, INSOL Europe, American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI), Verein zur Förderung des Bilanz- und Steuerrechts sowie der Wirtschaftsprüfung Berlin/Brandenburg e.V., Institut der Wirtschaftsprüfer in Deutschland e.V.
Publications
Andreas has contributed to several books and published numerous articles on distressed M&A, financial restructuring, tax and insolvency law including preventive restructuring frameworks.
Latest Books:
● Co-author, “Steuerrecht in der Sanierung,” “M&A-Transaktionen in der Krise/Distressed M&A,” “Doppelnützige Treuhand,” in: Schmidt (Hrsg.): Hamburger Kommentar zum Restrukturierungsrecht, Carl Heymanns Verlag, 4th edition 2024
● Co-author, “Unternehmenskauf in Krise und Insolvenz,” in: Denkhaus/Ziegenhagen, RWS Verlag, 4th edition, 2022
● Co-author, “Die doppelnützige Treuhand als Restrukturierungsinstrument,” in: Thierhoff/Müller (Hrsg.): Unternehmenssanierung, C.F. Müller, 3th edition 2022
● Co-author, “Steuerrecht in der Sanierung,” “M&A-Transaktionen in der Krise/Distressed M&A,” “Doppelnützige Treuhand,” in: Schmidt (Hrsg.): Hamburger Kommentar zum Restrukturierungsrecht, Carl Heymanns Verlag, 3th edition 2022
● Co-author, “Sanierungsmoderation,” in: Morgen (Hrsg.): StaRUG, Kommentar zum Gesetz über den Stabilisierungs- und Restrukturierungsrahmen für Unternehmen, RWS Verlag, 2nd edition 2022
● Co-author, “Steuerrechtliche Grundsätze und Probleme im Rahmen der Sanierung sowie der Betriebsfortführung,” in: Bieg/Borchardt/Frind (Hrsg.): Unternehmenssanierung und Betriebsfortführung, Beck Verlag, 2021
Latest Articles:
● "Gesellschaftsrecht versus Restrukturierungsrecht gemäß StaRUG in der Unternehmenskrise,” ZInsO, 2025, pp. 337-343
● Co-author, "Restrukturierung ohne Gesellschafterbeschluss?,” Börsen-Zeitung, 2024
● "Entwicklung des Sanierungs- und Restrukturierungsrechts,” ZInsO Fokus Sanierung, 2023, pp. 876-879
● “Sechs Monate StaRUG – Bewertung der ersten Rechtsprechung zur Anwendung des neuen Restrukturierungsgesetzes,” ZInsO Fokus Sanierung, 2021, pp. 2053-2061
● “Magische Mehrheitsentscheidung – Seit Jahresbeginn gibt es neue Möglichkeiten bei der Restrukturierung von Schuldscheinen,” FINANCE Sonderbeilage Top-Kanzleien, March/April 2021
● “Die 10 wichtigsten im Jahr 2020 veröffentlichten höchstrichterlichen Gerichtsentscheidungen für die Sanierungs- und Restrukturierungspraxis,” ZInsO Fokus Sanierung, 2021, pp. 44-49
● Referentenentwurf des BMJV zur Fortentwicklung des Sanierungs- und Insolvenzrechts – “Sanierungsrechtsfortentwicklungsgesetz – SanInsFoG,” ZInsO Fokus Sanierung, 2020, pp. 2090-2092
● “Anmerkungen zur CERIL Stellungnahme zur COVID-19 und insolvenzbezogenen Gesetzgebung,” ZInsO Fokus Sanierung, 2020, pp. 931
● “Auswirkungen der “Corona-Pandemie” und erste Maßnahmen der Bundesregierung,” ZInsO Fokus Sanierung, 2020, pp. 689-692
● “Präventiver Restrukturierungsrahmen – Erste Anregungen durch Verbände an den Gesetzgeber zur deutschen Umsetzung,” ZInsO Fokus Sanierung, 2020, pp. 2-7
Personal
Andreas is one of the few German lawyers who is both, a qualified accountant and a tax consultant.
Experience
● Promissory note holders of Webasto: Advising the promissory note holders of automotive supplier Webasto on the successful completion of the company’s restructuring.
● Bondholders of Accentro Real Estate AG: Advising the bondholders of real estate services company Accentro Real Estate AG (“Accentro”) in connection with the company’s restructuring proceedings under the German Act on the Stabilisation and Restructuring Framework for Companies (StaRUG).
● Promissory note holders of Biotronik-Group: Advising the promissory note holders of Biotronik-Group on securing the repayment of the company’s promissory notes.
● Promissory note holders of BRANICKS Group AG: Advising the promissory note holders of BRANICKS Group AG on securing the repayment of the company’s promissory notes.
● Senior lender and syndicate leader in various PropCo financings: Advising lenders and syndicate leaders of various Signa project companies since the real estate crisis in March 2023, both prior to insolvency and in the context of insolvency proceedings. The advice covered the financing of several real estate projects of the SIGNA Group in Germany and a real estate project in Austria, including the submission of protective letters, preparation of creditor applications, negotiation of administration and realization agreements, and advising banks in the context of the real estate sales processes.
● Senior syndicate banks: Advising the senior financiers of a real estate development project in Berlin (Quartier Heidestraße) on the restructuring of their financing. After conclusion of the restructuring agreement, advising on individual issues relating to restructuring financing.
● Senior syndicate banks: Advising the senior syndicate banks on the restructuring of the senior loan for the financing of a property in Munich.
● Senior lender: Advising on the restructuring of the Victoriahöfe real estate project in Berlin in connection with the extension of loan financing based on a restructuring concept with agreed milestones.
● Bank as senior lender: Advising on numerous real estate financing transactions as senior lender in connection with the restructuring of real estate projects in Munich, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Berlin, Stuttgart, Bonn, and Erlangen, including in some cases advising on the enforcement of a Luxembourg share pledge.
● Large German insurance group: Advising as senior and, in some cases, junior lender secured by subordinate mortgages in connection with real estate restructurings in Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Berlin. This included advising on options for action and potential liability risks in the run-up to insolvency, filing protective letters, and preparing creditor applications.
● Real estate company: Advising a real estate company with development projects and total financing of over EUR 1 billion in connection with standstill agreements with various lenders.
● Promissory note holders of BayWa AG: Advising the note creditors of BayWa AG in connection with the company’s restructuring proceedings under the German Act on the StaRUG.
● Promissory note holders of Huf: Advising the promissory note holders of automotive supplier Huf on the successful completion of the company’s restructuring.
● Promissory note holders of hubergroup: Advising hubergroup’s promissory note creditors on the full repayment of the company’s promissory notes.
● Promissory note holders of VARTA AG: Advising the group of creditors of Varta's promissory note loans as part of the StaRUG proceedings.
● Amor Group: Advising Amor Group on the successful StaRUG proceedings in the financial restructuring of the company.
● Promissory note holders of Meyer Werft GmbH: Advising the group of creditors of promissory note loans as part of the financial restructuring.
● Promissory note loan creditors of BRANICKS Group: Advising national and international credit institutions as promissory note creditors of BRANICKS Group AG on the restructuring of promissory note loans by means of a restructuring plan pursuant to StaRUG in court proceedings.
● Promissory note loan creditors of STEAG Group: Advising numerous national and international banks in their capacity as promissory note loan creditors of the STEAG Group on the successful refinancing of the energy producer.
● Harko Group: Advising the Harko Group and its shareholders on the sale of the Rhein-Ruhr-Zentrum in Mülheim.
● Promissory note holders of Leoni: Advising numerous national and international credit institutions in their capacity as promissory note creditors of Leoni AG in connection with a restructuring of financial liabilities.
● Bondholders of Green City Group: Representing interests of all bondholders as joint representative of the group companies Green City Energy Kraftwerkspark II, Green City Energy Kraftwerkspark III and Green City Solarimpuls I.
● Delticom AG: Advising in connection with the successful restructuring and subsequent refinancing after a fiduciary takeover of listed shares under exemption from the takeover offer in accordance with the German Securities Acquisition and Takeover Act (Wertpapiererwerbs- und Übernahmegesetz).
● German Municipalities: Advising German Municipalities as creditors in the insolvency proceedings of Greensill Bank AG.
