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Thomas Weidlich, LL.M. (Hull)

Lawyer │ Partner

Cologne

+49 221 9937 16280

thomas.weidlich@luther-lawfirm.com

Areas of practice

Corporate/M&A

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International Trade Law

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Restructuring & Insolvency

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Mobility & Logistics

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China

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Automotive

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India

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Information Tech & Telecommunications

Thomas Weidlich advises on national and international acquisitions and divestments, joint ventures and the restructuring of companies. This includes advising on the entire transaction process, from the structuring of the transaction and complex due diligence procedures to contract negotiations and the clarification of regulatory issues, for example, in the field of investment control. Thomas Weidlich also has extensive experience with all matters pertaining to company and group law and regularly advises on shareholder disputes. He is very knowledgeable about capital measures and other types of corporate finance and as lead Partner has advised several successful IPOs of German and foreign companies.

A particular focus of Thomas Weidlich’s practice is advising clients with respect to European investments in Asia. When providing such advice, he works closely with our offices and “best friend” law firms in China, India, Singapore and other jurisdictions in order to ensure our clients are supported efficiently with their projects in the Far East regardless of time or location. Thomas Weidlich is also the primary contact for Asian companies who are interested in investing and conducting business in Germany and Europe.

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Vita

Thomas Weidlich studied law at the universities of Würzburg and Passau (Germany) and Hull (England). He joined Luther’s predecessor firm in 1996 and managed the law firm’s Singapore office from 2000 to 2005. Thomas Weidlich has been leading a Corporate/M&A team in the Cologne office since 2005 and is the responsible Partner for providing legal advice in the entire Asia-Pacific region, with a special focus on China and India.

Thomas Weidlich is a renowned expert when it comes to advising and coordinating cross-border acquisitions, joint ventures, restructurings and related regulatory issues. He regularly speaks on these subjects and frequently publishes articles on current legal developments in Germany and abroad.

Honors and distinctions

Chambers Global 2018: Ranking in "Corporate/M&A" in China, Germany and India (first ranking in 2015)
Chambers Europe 2018: Ranking in "Corporate/M&A" in China, Germany and India (first ranking in 2013) and ranking in "Corporate/M&A (International Firms) (Experts Based Abroad) - China"
JUVE Guide 2024/2025: Listed under "Frequently Recommended" in "Corporate Law" (first listed in 2012/2013)
JUVE Guide 2021/2022: Listed under "Frequently Recommended" in "M&A" (first listed in 2012/2013)
The Legal 500 Germany 2025: Recommendation in the category "Commercial and Distribution Law - Foreign Trade Law" (first recommendation in 2023, first mention in 2021) and mentions in the category "M&A" ("Thomas Weidlich and Falco Rohrberg: Very reliable, proactive, fast, lots of experience, very pleasant to deal with.") and in "City Focus Cologne" (first mention in 2023)
The Legal 500 Germany 2023: Recommendation in the category "Corporate law and M&A - M&A - medium-sized deals (- €500m)" (first mention in 2016)
The Legal 500 Germany 2021: Mention in the category "Corporate Law and M&A - Corporate Law" (first mention in 2017)
Best Lawyers 2026: Recommendation in “Mergers and Acquisitions Law”

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Clients

Advised the Norwegian oil and gas group Aker Solutions on its carve-out of the tunnelling technology and sale to a Chinese state-owned enterprise
Advised the US textile logistics company ALSCO on the takeover of a German competitor and subsequent reorganisation
Advised the listed Chinese automotive supplier Anhui ActBlue on the acquisition of Vitesco’s exhaust aftertreatment systems business
Advised the Indian-listed Carborundum Universal Limited (CUMI), one of the world’s largest suppliers of abrasives, on the takeover of two well-known German companies in the abrasives industry
Advised ENERCON in various domestic and international projects on matters such as contract law issues in China and the restructuring in India, including negotiating extensively with the joint venture partner
Advised the logistics group FIEGE on its entry into the Indian market by entering into a joint venture with an Indian conglomerate, as well as on reorganising the corporate structure in Greater China
Advised the listed German industrial holding company INDUS on various acquisitions and restructurings of portfolio companies, for example, in the business lines “Automotive” and “Intelligent Logistics/Infrastructure”
Advised Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen, a German global market leader in energy transfer technology, on matters pertaining to group and company law and on acquisitions in Germany and abroad
Advised the Peter Greven Group, a family-run manufacturer of special chemicals and skin protection products on the acquisition of competitors in Germany and abroad (asset and share deals) and on the formation of a production joint venture in Malaysia with a group listed on the Malaysian stock market
Advised the globally operating RHENUS Logistics Group on the takeover of a competitor in Canada
Advised Stollfuß Medien and the partnership’s partners on the sale of the publishing business to the French Éditions Lefevbre Sarrut Group, which is also the principal shareholder of juris, the leading German online portal for legal information
Advised Swissport, the world’s largest provider of airport ground services and air cargo handling, on the takeover of a majority holding in Flughafen Düsseldorf Cargo GmbH
Advised the US tier 1 automotive supplier TE Connectivity on various acquisitions and divestments in Germany, for example, on the takeover of a family-run group of companies (transaction volume: mid three-digit million amount) and on the sale of a business line in Germany in a bidding process
Advised TÜV Rheinland on the sale of a business line in China and Taiwan in a bidding process, including the required approvals and registrations
Advised VORWERK on a joint venture with an Indian partner for the distribution of cosmetic products in India, as well as on various transactions regarding the acquisition of stakes in China
Advised on the acquisition of an Asian manufacturer of touch sensors by a German group of companies (transaction volume: three-digit million amount), including coordinating a comprehensive due diligence review of the target companies in China, Taiwan and Singapore, as well as negotiating the complex contractual structure regarding the ownership situation and the continuation of the companies on a joint venture basis
Advised one of Asia’s largest cooking oil refiners listed on the Singapore stock exchange on its merger with another listed competitor to become the world leader in cooking oils, in particular with regard to corporate and antitrust law issues related to the German and European subsidiaries
Advised on the formation, the participation in, the repositioning and the termination of numerous joint ventures in Germany and abroad, in particular in China and India
Assisted with a number of IPOs and capital measures of listed stock corporations (advising both the issuer and the banking syndicates) on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange
Represented majority and minority shareholders and partners of corporations and partnerships and also management boards, managing directors and supervisory boards in actions to set aside resolutions made by the companies’ bodies, and in other corporate disputes

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Publications

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Blog posts

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Lectures

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Memberships

International Bar Association
Inter-Pacific Bar Association
Ostasiatischer Verein e.V.
Deutsch-Chinesische Juristenvereinigung e.V.
Indo-German Chamber of Commerce

Newsroom

all News

M&A Forum 2025 I Düsseldorf

20.05.2025 | Event

AWF-Fachtagung "Produktionsstandort Indien"

31.03.2025 | Event

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02.07.2025 | PR

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Soap bubble container is not packaging within the meaning of the Packaging Act – Luther achieves landmark judgement for toy manufacturers

30.06.2025 | PR

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Lawsuits against Chinese opponents? Public service of documents facilitates legal proceedings before German courts.

24.06.2025 | Blog

Preservation of loss carry-forwards despite acquisition of more than 50% of the shares

18.06.2025 | Blog

News Arbitration Landscape – Singapore: Shaping the Future of Arbitration: Updates to SIAC Rules 2025

18.06.2025 | Blog

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27.05.2025 | Blog

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06.05.2025 | Blog

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General Court bolsters up the European Commission: Dismissal of action brought by German fragrance company for annulment of inspection decision authorising a dawn raid to be conducted on the undertaking.

05.05.2025 | Blog