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Dr. Rolf Leithaus

Partner
Rechtsanwalt

Portrait ofRolf Leithaus

Dr. Rolf Leithaus

Partner
Rechtsanwalt

Contact
CMS Hasche Sigle
Kranhaus 1
Im Zollhafen 18
50678 Cologne
Germany
Languages German, English, Dutch

Insolvency expert Rolf Leithaus advises companies on restructuring and liquidation proceedings and regularly handles international and cross-border insolvencies for his clients. He specialises in advising German and international parent companies on the restructuring and liquidation of German subsidiaries and also advises clients prior to the insolvency of such entities.

Furthermore, Rolf regularly advises German and international creditors on asserting and safeguarding their (preferential) rights in insolvency proceedings. He also acts for managing directors prior to insolvencies as well as on identifying and minimizing liability risks. Moreover, Rolf has special expertise advising and representing external insolvency administrators on legal issues and in court cases, in particular with regard to avoidance matters.

Rolf started his legal career in 1998 with the Cologne law offices of Gurland & Streich and CBH. He joined CMS in 2001 and has been a partner since 2005. Rolf is editor in chief of the Neue Zeitschrift für Insolvenzrecht, a leading German journal on insolvency law.

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„seit Jahren eine feste Größe am Markt“, Wettbewerber

JUVE Handbuch, 2023/2024

„Oft empfohlen“ für Restrukturierung und Insolvenz

JUVE Handbuch, 2023/2024

Listed for Restructuring and Insolvency Law

Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2023 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers

"profound expert, even for exotic insolvency law issues", client

JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2022 (GCLF)

"Recommended" for Insolvency and Restructuring

JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2022 (GCLF)

"strong in negotiations, an excellent lawyer", competitor

JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2021 (GCLF)

"Recommended" for Insolvency and Restructuring

JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2021 (GCLF)

Nennung als Top Anwalt für den Bereich Restrukturierung

WirtschaftsWoche Top-Kanzleien 2020; In Kooperation mit: Handelsblatt Research Institute

"The law firm has Dr. Alexandra Schluck-Amend and Dr. Rolf Leithaus about two very distinguished partners who, together with their teams – if necessary involving other competencies of the law firm – have many years of experience, even in very complex cases.", client

The Legal 500 EMEA, 2022

„seit Jahren eine feste Größe am Markt“, Wettbewerber

JUVE Handbuch, 2023/2024

„Oft empfohlen“ für Restrukturierung und Insolvenz

JUVE Handbuch, 2023/2024

Listed for Restructuring and Insolvency Law

Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2023 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers

"profound expert, even for exotic insolvency law issues", client

JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2022 (GCLF)

"Recommended" for Insolvency and Restructuring

JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2022 (GCLF)

"strong in negotiations, an excellent lawyer", competitor

JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2021 (GCLF)

"Recommended" for Insolvency and Restructuring

JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2021 (GCLF)

Nennung als Top Anwalt für den Bereich Restrukturierung

WirtschaftsWoche Top-Kanzleien 2020; In Kooperation mit: Handelsblatt Research Institute

"The law firm has Dr. Alexandra Schluck-Amend and Dr. Rolf Leithaus about two very distinguished partners who, together with their teams – if necessary involving other competencies of the law firm – have many years of experience, even in very complex cases.", client

The Legal 500 EMEA, 2022

„stets ergebnisorientiert, sehr gute Zusammenarbeit“, Wettbewerber

JUVE Handbuch, 2022/2023

„Oft empfohlen“ für Insolvenz und Restrukturierung

JUVE Handbuch, 2022/2023

Relevant experience

  • Advising German and international creditors on asserting and safeguarding their rights in insolvency proceedings and defense against avoidance claims
  • Advising managing directors prior to insolvencies as well as in insolvency proceedings on identifying and minimizing liability risks as well as defending them against liability claims
  • Advising and representing external and in particular non-German insolvency administrators on legal issues and in court cases
  • Advising all possible parties involved on international and cross-border insolvency proceedings
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Memberships & Roles

  • Arbeitskreis für Insolvenzwesen Köln e.V.
  • German Bar Association
  • German Bar Association’s working group for insolvency law
  • German-Dutch Lawyers‘ Association
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Publications

  • Beck'sches Formularhandbuch Zwangsvollstreckung, 3. Auflage 2016, Hrsg. Hasselblatt/Sternal
  • Wer haftet für die Kosten des Sekundärinsolvenzverfahrens (Art. 27 ff. EuInsVO)? (zusammen mit Christian Lange, LLM), Festschrift für Heinz Vallender, 2015
  • Insolvenzordnung, Kommentar, 3. Auflage, Andres/Leithaus 2014
  • Münchener Anwaltshandbuch Sanierung und Insolvenz, 2. Auflage 2012, Hrsg. Nerlich/Kreplin
  • Insolvenzspezifische Risiken für Drittschuldner sicherungszedierter Forderungen, DStR 2010, p. 2194 ff, (together with Dr Anne Deike Riewe)
  • Rangrücktrittsvereinbarungen zur Vermeidung der Überschuldung anno 2010 – Unter welchen Voraussetzungen lässt sich eine Rangrücktrittsvereinbarung aufheben?, NZI 2010, p. 844 ff, (together with Dr Thiemo Schaefer)
  • Inhalt und Reichweite der Insolvenzantragspflicht bei europaweiter Konzerninsolvenz, NZI 2008, p. 598 ff, (together with Dr Anne Deike Riewe)
  • Die fiktive Zuordnung der Sozialversicherungsbeiträge zum Vermögen des Arbeitnehmers gem. § 28e I 2 SGB IV n.F., NZI 2008, p. 393 ff, (together with Dr Hannah Maria Krings)
  • Globalzession auf dem Prüfstand, NZI 2007, p. 545 ff
  • Anmerkung zu OLG München: Inkongruenz einer durch Globalzession sicherungshalber abgetretenen Forderung, NZI 2006, p. 530 ff, (together with Dr Anne Deike Riewe)
  • Verrechnung von Zahlungseingängen auf debitorischem Kontokorrent bei Vorliegen eines Sicherheitenpools, NZI 2005, p. 592 ff
  • Taktik für Insolvenzverwalter in Anfechtungsprozessen, NZI 2005, p. 532 ff
  • Verwirkung des Vergütungsanspruchs bei Verletzung von Nebenpflichten? Oder: Disziplinierungsmaßnahmen gegen missliebige Verwalter, NZI 2005, p. 382 ff
  • Zur Insolvenzanfechtung von Kontokorrentverrechnungen, NZI 2002, p. 188 ff
  • Zu den Aufsichtsbefugnissen des Insolvenzgerichts nach § 83 KO/ § 58 I InsO, NZI 2001, p. 124 ff
  • Zur "Nachkündigung" nach § 113 InsO und zur Anfechtungsproblematik bei Kündigungen von Arbeitsverhältnissen im Vorfeld eines Insolvenzantrags, NZI 1999, p. 254 ff
  • Der Erwerb eigener Aktien in Deutschland und den Niederlanden, C.H. Beck Verlag, 1999
  • Zahlreiche Urteilsanmerkungen in der NZI
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Lectures list

Referententätigkeit (Auswahl):

  • since 2012: Sommerlehrgang Insolvenzrecht (together with Dr Anne Deike Riewe)
  • Fortsetzung seit 2008: Kredite und Banksicherheiten in der Insolvenz (together with RA Dr Thomas de la Motte)
  • 2011: 1. Hamburger InsolvenzrechtsForum, aktuelle Rechtsprechung zum Insolvenzrecht (together with RiBGH Dr Gerhard Pape)
  • 2010 und 2011: Zertifizierter Sachbearbeiter Kreditabwicklung und Insolvenzen (together with Rechtspfleger)
  • 2008, 2009 und 2010: Deutscher Insolvenzrechtstag, Berlin, Aktuelle Rechtsprechungsübersicht: Allgemeines Insolvenzrecht
  • 2009: Deutsch-Niederländisches Anwaltssymposium, Vortrag zum deutschen Insolvenzrecht
  • 2009: Gewerbliche Schutzrechte in der Insolvenz (together with RA Dr Philipp Köhler)
  • since 2005: Intensivkurs Insolvenzanfechtung (together with VorsRiBGH Prof Dr Godehard Kayser)
  • 2005: Aktuelle Rechtsprechung des BGH zum Insolvenzrecht (together with VorsRiBGH Dr Gero Fischer)
  • 2004: Workshop Insolvenzrecht bei den 6. Düsseldorfer Insolvenztagen (together with RiBGH a.D. Hans-Peter Kirchhof)
  • 2004: Intensivkurs Insolvenzanfechtung (together with RiBGH a.D. Hans-Peter Kirchhof)
  • 2003 und 2004: Die GmbH in der Insolvenzkrise (together with Prof Dr Ulrich Haas)
  • since 2003: Seminarreihe beim Verlag C.H. Beck: Insolvenzfeste Bestellung von Kreditsicherheiten und deren Verwertung in der Insolvenz (together with RA Dr Tom Beckerhoff, Frankfurt)

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Education

  • 1999: PhD
  • 1994 - 1997: Research assistant and PhD student at the University of Cologne
  • 1995: Second state examination in law
  • Law studies in Cologne
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Expertise

Feed

11/05/2023
CMS advises Tengelmann Ventures portfolio company Pomélo + Co on the acquisition...
Munich – Pomélo + Co GmbH, which specialises in beauty and personal care, has acquired all the assets of Shyne Labs AG and its range of brands. Through the acquisition, Pomélo + Co is further expanding...
News
17/03/2022
CMS advises APRIL SAS on sale of APRIL Deutschland AG to Claims Corporation...
Stuttgart – French financial services provider and insurance specialist APRIL SAS has disposed of its German subsidiary, APRIL Deutschland AG. The company was sold to Dutch firm Claims Corporation Network...
News
04/05/2021
CMS advises Computacenter on acquisition of Interseroh logistics subsidiary...
Munich – IT service provider Computacenter has acquired ITL logistics GmbH from environmental services provider Interseroh in Germany. The company will use the acquisition to expand its IT logistics...
Deals
19/04/2021
CMS advises Finch Capital subsidiary Nomu Pay on acquisition of four Asian...
Munich - Venture capital investor Finch Capital has acquired four Asian subsidiaries in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines from the insolvent payment service provider Wirecard via the newly...
Deals
29/02/2016
WIRSOL successfully advised by CMS: Major German solar park connected to...
Hamburg – One of the largest German solar power plants of the year has now been connected to the grid. The Plütscheid plant in the federal state of Rhine­land-Palat­in­ate generates peak power of almost...
Press releases
04/03/2014
CMS Hasche Sigle advises montanSOLAR on photovoltaic projects
Hamburg – montanSOLAR GmbH of Sulzbach an der Saar has already successfully completed seven large ground mounted photovoltaic projects in the German state of Saarland. Two of these solar parks, Mellin...
Press releases
23/07/2013
CMS Hasche Sigle advises Telefónica Deutschland on acquisition of E-Plus
Munich – Telefónica Deutschland Holding AG has signed an agreement with Dutch tele­com­mu­nic­a­tions group Royal KPN N.V. to acquire Düs­sel­dorf-based mobile service provider E-Plus. KPN, which operates...
Press releases
20/06/2013
The COMI (Center Of Main Interest) in insolvency law in Germany
A Cologne case dealt with the insolvent PIN-Group AG S.A., a company whose registered office was in Luxembourg [Local Court in Cologne 19 February 2008 (file number 73 IE 1 / 08), NZI 2008, 257 ff]...
Expert Guide Banking & Finance
25/04/2012
CMS Hasche Sigle advises LUXCARA on acquisition and financing of solar...
Hamburg – Last autumn, LUXCARA GmbH acquired two of the three parts of the Briest solar park (Brandenburg) for a fund under its management, with legal advice being provided by CMS Hasche Sigle. LUXCARA...
Press releases
03/11/2011
CMS Hasche Sigle advises LUXCARA on acquisition of 60 MW portfolio in Europe's...
Hamburg – LUXCARA GmbH has acquired another major German solar park portfolio with a total installed capacity of 60 MWp in Briest, Brandenburg, from Q-Cells. Asset manager LUXCARA has acquired the solar...
Press releases
24/03/2011
CMS Hasche Sigle advises on management buy-out of Berlin-based Tectura...
Berlin – Following a management buy-out, Tectura Corporation has transferred its stake in Tectura GmbH, Berlin, to its long-standing chief executive and minority shareholder, Uwe Bergmann. Tectura is...
Press releases
29/04/2009
CMS Hasche Sigle successfully advises Swissport on restructuring of its...
An in­ter­dis­cip­lin­ary, multi-location team from CMS Hasche Sigle has successfully advised Swissport on the restructuring of its operations in Germany. Withmore than 33,000 employees around the world, Swissport...
Press releases