Dr. Arne Kießling

Arne specializes in advising listed companies on all matters of stock corporation and group law, capital markets law, and corporate governance, as well as on restructurings and M&A transactions. He also has extensive experience in representing clients in corporate law disputes and proceedings before regulatory authorities. His clients include listed corporates in particular in the automotive, healthcare, and consumer goods sectors.

Quotations & Rankings

Arne is recognized by Handelsblatt and Best Lawyers as one of Germany's best lawyers in the areas of “corporate law” and “mergers and acquisitions”.

Work highlights

Recent matters where Arne was substantially involved can be disclosed including:

• Volkswagen: advising the Management Board on all relevant corporate law matters, the preparation and conduct of the annual general meeting as well as on proceedings and various transformational projects.
• Porsche: advising the Management Board and the Supervisory Board on corporate law-related issues, compliance matters and the preparation and conduct of general meetings as well as defence of the Management Board and the Supervisory Board in corporate law proceedings and in proceedings before supervisory authorities.
• Fresenius Medical Care: advising the Management Board and the Supervisory Board on various corporate and capital markets law and corporate governance matters, preparing and conducting general meetings and defending in litigious matters.
• Audi: advising the Management Board on various corporate law matters, including the squeeze-out under stock corporation law and the subsequent corporate law disputes.
• Fresenius: advising on various corporate law matters as well as the preparation and conduct of general meetings as well as on the acquisition of a majority stake (55%) in mAbxience, a leading supplier of biotechnologically produced generic medicines (biosimilars).
• Bayer: advising on corporate law issues, the preparation and conduct of general meetings as well as defending the company in corporate law proceedings.
• Beiersdorf: advising on corporate law matters and the preparation and conduct of general meetings as well as the defence in judicial and administrative proceedings.

Arne studied at the University of Münster and finished his First and Second Legal State Examination with honours. He also holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Düsseldorf.

During his legal clerkship, he completed placements in Cape Town and Sydney.

Arne speaks German and English.

Arne has published the following articles and/or books:

• Kapitalmarkt – Neuer Anlauf zur Entwicklung von KMU-Wachstumsmärkten“ – in: DB 2019, 1494 (jointly with Dr Carl Friedrich von Laer  – publication on Capital Markets – a new attempt to develop growth markets for small and medium-sized companies)
• „Zur Wirksamkeit der Wahl eines Aufsichtsratsmitglieds trotz Abweichung des Wahlvorschlags vom DCGK“ – in: EWiR 2019, 137 (jointly with Philipp Roebers – publicaton on the Effectiveness of the Election of a Supervisory Board Member Notwithstanding a Deviation of the Nomination Proposal from the German Corporate Governance Code)
• „Die unzureichende Beachtung der rechtsformspezifischen Besonderheiten der KGaA in der jüngeren Gesetzgebung und im Corporate Governance Kodex“ – in: Festschrift für Reinhard Marsch-Barner, 2018, 273 (jointly with Dr Tim Johannsen-Roth – publication on the lack of attention of the legislator regarding the particularities of the legal form of the partnership limited by shares)

• Kommentierung des Abschnitts G (Vergütung des Vorstands) sowie des Grundsatzes 26 (Vergütungsbericht) – in: Johannsen-Roth/Illert/Ghassemi-Tabar, Deutscher Corporate Governance Kodex, 2. ed., C.H. Beck 2023, pages 388 – 460 and 472 – 474

• Kommentierung der Grundsätze zur Erstattung von Kosten und Geldstrafen – in: Krieger/U.H. Schneider, Handbuch Managerhaftung, 4. ed., Otto Schmidt 2023 (together with Dr. Cornelius Wilk)
  
• „Rechtsentwicklungen im Aktienrecht 2017“ – in: Der Betrieb 2017, Beilage Nr. 3, 17 (jointly with Dr Tim Johannsen-Roth and Dirk Horcher – publication on the developments in stock corporation law in 2017)

• „Das Amt des Ehrenvorsitzenden des Aufsichtsrats“ – in: NZG 2013, 972 (jointly with Dr Tim Johannsen-Roth – publication on the office of the honorary chairman of the supervisory board)
  
• „Der übernahmerechtliche Squeeze-Out gemäß §§ 39a, 39b WpÜG“ – 2008 (doctoral thesis on the squeeze out provisions following a public tender offer)

• „Möglichkeiten der BaFin zur Beendigung von Übernahmeschlachten nach dem WpÜG“ – in: Der Betrieb, 2007, 1796 et seqq. (jointly with Dr Tobias Böckmann – publication on administrative options to end takeover battles)
• „Übernahmerechtlicher Squeeze-Out: Erster Praxistest“ – in: Der Betrieb – Status:Recht, 2007, 295 et seqq. (publication on the first actual squeeze out proceedings following a public tender offer)
• „Gesellschaften als Parteien im Zivilprozess“ – in: JuS 2010, 312 (jointly with Dr Jochen Markgraf –publication on public and private companies in civil proceedings)
• „Handelsrecht im Assessorexamen“ – in: JuS 2010, 881 (jointly with Dr Jochen Markgraf – publication on issues of trade law in the German Second Legal State Examination)
• Comments on sections G.6 to G.16 (variable compensation components, payments in case of termination of service agreements, other provisions) and on Principle 25 (compensation report) - in: Johannsen-Roth/Illert/Ghassemi-Tabar, German Corporate Governance Code, C.H. Beck 2020, pages 364 - 401 and 413 – 415
• „Rechtsentwicklungen im Aktienrecht 2019“ - in: Der Betrieb 2019, Beilage No. 3, 16 (jointly with Dr Tim Johannsen-Roth and Dr Julius Raapke - Legal Developments in Stock Corporation Law 2019)