Dr. Kirsten Girnth

Partner

Kirsten Girnth focuses her practice on mergers and acquisitions, corporate and commercial law. She advises major multinational corporations as well as SMEs in the chemical, automotive, information technology, life sciences and energy and utilities sectors in cross border transactions, cooperations, joint ventures and corporate restructurings.

Besides coordinating and orchestrating transactions, Kirsten Girnth advises clients on all aspects of acquisition or divestment processes with an emphasis on drafting and negotiating relevant contracts and related documentation and setting up and performing due diligence procedures on the buyer’s as well as on the seller’s side. She develops pre- and post-merger strategies and assists clients in the implementation thereof.

JUVE – the leading guide and ranking institution for the legal services industry in Germany – and Legal 500 frequently feature Kirsten Girnth in their handbooks and publications.

Practice areas

Corporate law
M&A and Corporate Finance
Life Sciences and Health Care
Technology law and Commercial law
Israel Practice

Vita

1986 - 1994 Law studies and Political Economics studies at Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main
1991 Diploma, Political Economics at Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main
1994 First State Exam at Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main
1997 Second State Exam, regional court Wiesbaden
1997 Admitted to the German bar
1998 PhD (Dr. iur.) at the University of Frankfurt am Main
1997 - 2005 Lawyer (from 2002 on partner) at Schürmann & Partner, from 2002 on Coudert Borthers LLP
2005 - 2016 Partner at DLA Piper UK LLP
2016 - 2019 Partner at Bryan Cave LLP, now Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner UK LLP
2019 Joining RITTERSHAUS as partner

Other activities and memberships

Member of the Frankfurt Bar Association
Member of the German Federal Association M&A
Member of the German Israeli Economic Association
Member of the FidAR Association – Women to the Supervisory Boards
Member of the East Asian Association
During her academic studies Kirsten Girnth was working as a journalist for Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in the departments local, business news and politics as well as for the F.A.Z. Sonntagszeitung. Besides, she worked as a reporter for Hessischer Rundfunk.
Since 2013, Kirsten Girnth has regularly taught students and young lawyers in Vietnam, Zambia, Malawi and Nepal in contract language techniques and negotiation strategies. The aim is to further develop the skills and abilities of the young people and to prepare them for exam situations and their professional life.
Kirsten Girnth has been advising several non-profit organizations pro bono on legal issues for more than ten years.
Since the beginning of 2017 Kirsten Girnth has been a member of the advisory board of Eintracht Frankfurt e.V.
Since the end of 2017 Kirsten Girnth has been advising the founders of the first Museum of Modern Electronic Museum (MOMEM) in the world which will be located in Frankfurt am Main.

Publications

Several publications in magazines, news papers and legal journals on several topics regarding corporate and commercial law, such as e.g. on the Euro, on e-commerce, Doing Business in Germany, Doing Business in China, Tracking Stocks, Joint-Ventures, M&A in Germany.
“Doing Business 2014 in Germany. Understanding Regulations for Small and Medium-Size Enterprises”, publication of the World Bank, Washington 2013
“Tracking Stock – A Smart Concept for Acquisitions in Diversified Business-es”, in: Transatlantic Mergers and Acquisitions: Opportunities and Pitfalls in Germany, Erlangen, 2007
“The Coordination of Tender Actions in the European Union”, Berlin, 1998
“Interim Management - Rent a Head, compendium for managers, advisors and customers”, Düsseldorf 1995

Selected mandates

My motto

“Smile if tears would overdo.”