Christoph advises listed and non-listed corporations, shareholders as well as members of management boards and supervisory boards on matters of corporate law, in particular GmbH and stock corporation law and the law concerning groups of companies as well as transformation law. A practical focus of his work is advising venture-capital-backed companies in the context of their transition into an AG (German stock corporation) or an SE (European stock corporation), legal forms which enable access to the capital market.
An additional focus of his work is on corporate litigation, both before ordinary courts and in arbitration proceedings. Furthermore, Christoph regularly acts as counsel and arbitrator in post-M&A matters.
Education and Career
Christoph studied law in Cologne and at the University of Paris I (Panthéon-Sorbonne). He completed his legal traineeship (Referendariat) at the Berlin Court of Appeal (Kammergericht). In addition, Christoph has completed training as a business mediator.
* not a shareholder of YPOG GmbH & Co. KG
Experience
In corporate and transformation law, Christoph has recently advised clients on the following matters, among others:
- Helsing on its $1.8bn Series E financing round
- Helsing in connection with the establishment of an SE holding structure, in particular for SE governance
- Founders of SoSafe on changing the legal form to an AG and establishing an SE
- advising Porsche Automobil Holding SE on the change of legal form of Isar Aerospace GmbH into an SE
- advising Taxfix on the change of legal form into an AG and subsequently into an SE
- advising several investors in connection with the establishment of advastore SE
- advising Trade Republic on a wide range of corporate law matters
As counsel, Christoph was recently involved in the following post‑M&A arbitration proceedings, among others:
- Representation of the seller following a PE transaction (healthcare industry) in defending claims for alleged fraudulent misrepresentation and alleged breach of warranty
- Representation of the seller (a leading company in the specialty chemicals sector) following an exit transaction (digital printing) in defense against claims for alleged breach of warranty
- Representation of the seller following an exit transaction involving a VC-financed company in enforcement of the purchase price claim
- Representation of a strategic investor (advertising and media industry) in enforcement of claims for fraudulent misrepresentation and breach of warranty
In the area of corporate litigation, Christoph most recently worked on the following mandates, among others:
- Advising and representing a VC-financed company in connection with the disputed departure of a founder (disputed leaver case), in particular supporting the disputed shareholders' meeting and representing the company in preliminary injunction proceedings and in the main proceedings
- Representation of a VC-financed company as respondent in preliminary injunction proceedings in connection with a “reclassification” of shares
- Representation of a listed company (semiconductor industry) in various legal disputes with minority shareholders in a subsidiary (including action for exclusion)
- Representation of the former managing director of the holding company of a real estate group against claims for alleged breaches of duty
In the area of commercial litigation, Christoph most recently advised in the following disputes, among others:
- Advising and representing a foreign major importer of baked goods in a legal dispute with its German supplier
- Advising and representing an international crypto exchange in defending against a series of consumer claims in various first- and second-instance court proceedings
Qualifications
- German qualified attorney (Rechtsanwalt)
- Certified Corporate Attorney
- Ph.D. in law (Dr. iur.) (Cologne University)
- Maîtrise en droit (Paris 1)
- Business Mediator
Languages
- German
- English
- French
- Approval of settlement agreements with former management board members and D&O insurers by VW general meeting
Zeitschrift für Wirtschaftsrecht (ZIP) 3/2026, p. 147 (together with Danêl Buchholz) [in German] - Precontractual duties of disclosure against the background of virtual data rooms – side notes to BGH V ZR 77/22 – 15 September 2023
Essays in honour of Barbara Dauner-Lieb, 2025, p. 669 [in German] - No appeal (sofortige Beschwerde) against the appointment of a curator ad litem (Prozesspfleger) for a limited liability company
Zeitschrift für Wirtschaftsrecht (ZIP) 8/2025, p. 428 (together with Danêl Buchholz) [in German] - How Does the EU AI Act Apply to Arbitration?
Daily Jus, 14 January 2025, Link: How Does the EU AI Act Apply to Arbitration? - Daily Jus (together with Ilka Beimel and Simon Heetkamp) - New obligations for arbitral tribunals under the EU AI Act?
German Arbitration Journal (SchiedsVZ) 5/2024, p. 225 ff. (together with Ilka Beimel and Simon Heetkamp) [in German with English abstract] - Resolutions adopted in breach of competences – no nullity of shareholders' resolutions due to a violation of a voting agreement or a permanent breach of the articles of association (zustandsbegründende Satzungsdurchbrechung)
Neue Juristische Wochenschrift (NJW) 41/2024, p. 2956 ff. [in German] - Practical Legal Issues regarding the Formation and Governance of a monistic SE
Die Aktiengesellschaft (AG) 2024, p. 569 f. (together with Matthias Schatz) [in German] - Exclusion of GmbH shareholders from voting in the event of claims against their own company; limits of the legal action for the positive determination of a resolution (positive Beschlussfeststellungsklage)
EWiR 2/2024, p. 37 f. (together with Ferdinand Bordes) [in German] - Abandonment of the "conditional solution" in favor of the "liability solution" in the case of actions for exclusion against a shareholder of a limited liability company,
Neue Juristische Wochenschrift (NJW) 43/2023, p. 3169 f. (together with Jannis Fischer) - Extension of the scope of protection of relationship existing between the managing limited partner GmbH and its managing director (§ 43 (2) GmbHG) to the limited partnership
Neue Zeitschrift für Gesellschaftsrecht (NZG), 18/2023, p. 840 f. [in German] - Nullity of shareholders' resolutions due to a violation of a voting agreement
GmbHR 09/2023, p. 455 f. [in German] - The appointment of a curator ad litem for the recipient of a third-party notice who is under legal disability
Monatsschrift für deutsches Recht (MDR), 5/2023, p. 268 ff. (together with Matthias Schatz) [in German] - Consumption of the right to convene a shareholder's meeting under section 50 (3) of the German Limited Liability Companies Act (GmbHG)
EWiR 23/2022, p. 708 f. (together with Elena Auksutat) [in German] - Reimbursement of costs and default damages under arbitration law
German Arbitration Journal (SchiedsVZ), 06/2022, p. 315 ff. [in German] - Appointment of a curator ad litem in corporate disputes
Neue Zeitschrift für Gesellschaftsrecht (NZG), 31/2022, p. 1473 ff. (together with Matthias Schatz) [in German] - Applicability of Art. 25 Brussels-la-VO to jurisdiction agreements of German partnerships with foreign general partners
EWiR 21/2022, p. 670 f. (together with Matthias Schatz) [in German] - Requirements for a positive continuance prognosis in the context of the potential over-indebtedness of a start-up company
GmbHR 2022, p. 974 ff. (together with Elena Auksutat) [in German] - No replacement of the shareholders' competence by actio pro socio when asserting claims against a third-party managing director
EWiR 09/2022, p. 267 f. [in German] - Legal entities and partnerships as special representatives within the meaning of section 147 (2) of the German Stock Corporation Act (AktG)
Essays in honor of Thomas Heidel, 2021, pp. 713 et seqq. (together with Matthias Schatz) [in German] - On the Being of the Ought – The legal entities in the legal phenomenology of Adolf Reinach
Zeitschrift für rechtswissenschaftliche Forschung, 03/2020, p. 93 ff. [in German] - On the rationale, meaning and nature of possession
Studien zum Zivilrecht [Studies in civil law], Nomos publishing house, 2020 - [in German]
