Dr Eckart Petzold

Dr Eckart Petzold is Licensed Specialist for Corporate Law (Fachanwalt für Handels- und Gesellschaftsrecht) and Head of Luther’s Italian Desk. He assists domestic and foreign investors in their Corporate and M&A activities in Germany and worldwide, particularly in connection with cross-border transactions with a focus on international joint ventures and commercial agreements, negotiating in German, English, Italian (sworn translator) and French.

Corporate/M&A
International Trade Law

Dr Eckart Petzold studied law (PhD.) in Freiburg, Germany, and Lausanne, Switzerland. In 1975 he trained in a leading Swiss bank. In 1983 he was admitted to the Bar. From 1985 to 2005 he practised as lawyer and, from 1989 onwards, was a Partner of the international law firm Lovells, including predecessor firms. From 2005 onwards he was responsible, as Partner of GSK, for the German-Italian Cross-Border Team which moved to Luther in 2014. Dr Eckart Petzold is Chairman of the German-Italian Trade Association MERCURIO, Honorary Deputy Chairman of the International Association of Italian-Speaking Lawyers AIGLI and Member of the Commission for Translators (Italian) of the Düsseldorf Chamber of Commerce.

• JUVE Guide 2016/2017: Listed under "Frequently Recommended" in Düsseldorf
• JUVE Guide 2013/2014: Client quote: "Dr. Eckart Petzold has a market-leading German-Italian practice. practice, which impresses with major mandates every year, especially in corporate law and M&A"
• The Legal 500 Germany 2023: Recommended in "Trade and Distribution Law - Foreign Trade Law"

• Privatisation of the former East German Pharma Group Arzneimittelwerke Dresden
• Assisting Deutsche Post in connection with several acquisitions in Italy
• Assisting Gruppo Coin/OVIESSE in connection with the acquisition of Kaufhalle from the METRO Group
• Advising Impregilo in connection with the acquisition of the Environmental Business of Babcock Borsig AG
• Assisting Finmeccanica in a bidding process to buy a leading German company in the defence business
• Assisting TÜV Nord in connection with the acquisition of an Italian certification company
• Assisting Caffitaly System in connection with their joint ventures and commercial agreements worldwide
• Advising on around 200 M&A deals

• 28.10.2014: Industria Automobilistica - Un Settore Chiave dell'Economia Tedesca

• M&A Day at the Sole24ore

• Mercurio Deutsch-Italienische Wirtschaftsvereinigung - Chairman
• Internationale Vereinigung Italienischsprachiger Juristen (AIGLI) - Deputy Honorary Chairman
• Deutsch-Italienische Juristenvereinigung (DIJV)
• Deutscher Anwaltverein Italien

• 30.11.2017: Prospettive economiche e profili giuridici postelezioni, Gestione del business in Germania per le imprese italiane
• 29.11.2017: Investing in Italian Inovation: Digital Solutions and the challenge of Industrie 4.0, German-Italian Innovation Conference