The Turnaround Podcast with Stephen Phillips, Episode 27

In this episode of The Turnaround Podcast, Stephen Phillips speaks with Oliver Köhler, Dr. David von Saucken and Gunnar Müller-Henneberg of Luther, one of Germany's leading law firms and a trusted advisor to the Mittelstand.

Oliver focuses on financial restructuring and directors' duties from Frankfurt, David heads Luther's London office as a dual-qualified German lawyer and English solicitor, and Gunnar leads the firm's restructuring and insolvency practice from Stuttgart.

Tune in to the episode to hear about:

* How StaRUG is being used five years on, including its role as leverage for reaching out-of-court restructuring agreements

* What did Varta reveal about restructuring the debt while leaving the business problems unsolved?

* Why Germany is a tough jurisdiction for directors, and how self-administration and protective shields offer a way through

* Does the Project Fürst decision mean the UK has lost its role in German restructurings?

* The pressure on Germany's automotive industry, the shift toward defense, and the outlook for large-cap insolvencies

Learn more about Oliver Köhler, David von Saucken and Gunnar Müller-Henneberg:

* Read Oliver's profile on Luther's website: https://www.luther-lawfirm.com/en/team/team/oliver-koehler

* Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-koehler-berlin/

* Read David's profile on Luther's website: https://www.luther-lawfirm.com/en/team/team/dr-david-von-saucken-mjur-oxon

* Connect with David on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-von-saucken-a9038312/

* Read Gunnar's profile on Luther's website: https://www.luther-lawfirm.com/en/team/team/gunnar-mueller-henneberg

* Connect with Gunnar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gunnar-m%C3%BCller-henneberg-80a21aa1/

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About The Turnaround Podcast:

In each episode of The Turnaround Podcast, Stephen Phillips speaks to experienced practitioners who discuss their careers, key moments, challenges, and lessons learned in financial turnarounds and business restructuring. Tune in as they unravel the secrets to turning struggling businesses into successful ones.

Watch more episodes of The Turnaround Podcast:

* FreiLibertas Law’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWzwWr13TM2692SYEJc-U3g/

Connect and learn more from your host, Stephen Phillips:

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-phillips-85034324/

* Website: https://www.freilibertas.com/founders-experience

The Turnaround Podcast with Stephen Phillips, Episode 26

In this episode of The Turnaround Podcast, Stephen Phillips speaks with Stuart Green, Founder and Principal Advisor at Blue Green Advisors, an ocean-only advisory firm. Blue Green Advisors works with governments, multilateral banks, bilateral donors, philanthropic foundations, and industry partners to design and deliver the strategies, finance, and governance the blue economy needs to function.

Tune in to the episode to hear about:

* The personal tragedy that inspired Stuart to write The Regenerate Leap and rethink how people and organizations respond to irreversible change

* How Stuart distinguishes recovery from regeneration, and why some organizations can no longer return to their previous state

* What can leaders learn from a forest that only releases its seeds after a fire?

* Stuart’s framework for challenging outdated assumptions, strengthening organizational foundations, and creating space for new growth

* How can organizations embrace AI-driven change without losing the human strengths that make them successful?

Learn more about Stuart Green:

* Connect with Stuart on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bluegreenadvisors

* View Stuart’s bio page: https://stuartjgreen.me

* Visit Blue Green Advisors’ website: https://www.bluegreenadvisors.com

* Follow Blue Green Advisors on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-green-advisors

* Check out Stuart’s book, “The Regenerative Leap” https://www.regenerateleap.com

***********************************

About The Turnaround Podcast:

In each episode of The Turnaround Podcast, Stephen Phillips speaks to experienced practitioners who discuss their careers, key moments, challenges, and lessons learned in financial turnarounds and business restructuring. Tune in as they unravel the secrets to turning struggling businesses into successful ones.

Watch more episodes of The Turnaround Podcast::

* FreiLibertas Law’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWzwWr13TM2692SYEJc-U3g

Connect and learn more from your host, Stephen Phillips:

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-phillips-85034324

* Website: https://www.freilibertas.com/founders-experience

The Turnaround Podcast with Stephen Phillips, Episode 25

In this episode of The Turnaround Podcast, Stephen Phillips speaks with Christian Schmehl, Managing Partner at Hypax, a specialist investment firm with offices in London and Berlin.

Tune in to the episode to hear about:

* Christian’s career path that led him to founding Hypax in early 2023

* Hypax’s specialization in complex corporate carve-outs of underperforming “corporate orphans”

* How and why Hypax buys equity and typically avoids standard LBO leverage

* Carve-outs enabling digital leapfrogging by replacing legacy tech stacks

* Hypax’s use of an evergreen structure to allow longer transformations

* Best practices across holdings without over-integration

* Hypax business acquirement since its founding in 2023

Learn more about Christian Schmehl:

* Connect with Christian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-schmehl-3a311a13

* Visit Hpax’s website: https://www.hypax.com/about

***********************************

About The Turnaround Podcast:

In each episode of The Turnaround Podcast, Stephen Phillips speaks to experienced practitioners who discuss their careers, key moments, challenges, and lessons learned in financial turnarounds and business restructuring. Tune in as they unravel the secrets to turning struggling businesses into successful ones.

Watch more episodes of The Turnaround Podcast::

* FreiLibertas Law’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWzwWr13TM2692SYEJc-U3g/

Connect and learn more from your host, Stephen Phillips:

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-phillips-85034324/

* Website: https://www.freilibertas.com/founders-experience