What Wendelstein does

Wendelstein Rechtsanwälte PartGmbB is an independent commercial law firm (Wirtschaftskanzlei) headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Founded in 2011, the firm provides legal advisory services across the core areas of commercial law with a particular focus on M&A/corporate and dispute resolution, complemented by private equity and venture capital, real estate, restructuring and insolvency, capital markets, financing, tax law and succession planning, and notary services. The firm serves mid-market and enterprise companies, family-owned businesses and entrepreneurs, and private equity and venture capital funds in German-speaking markets. Representative client engagements include mandates for Salzgitter-Konzern, ASSA ABLOY, NFON AG, DexKo Global, MKM Holding, Blackroll AG, and HögforsGST, spanning steel, access solutions, cloud communications, vehicle technology, health and recovery, IoT/data center security, and district heating.

Wendelstein operates as a professional services firm on a billable-hours model with fees negotiated based on transaction complexity and matter scope. The firm employs 11-50 people organized into Partners, Counsel, Senior Associates, Associates, and Business Professionals, with no external investors or parent company; ownership is retained by founding and senior partners under a PartGmbB (Partnerschaftsgesellschaft mit beschränkter Berufshaftung) structure. Client acquisition is driven by advisory reputation, legal directory rankings (Chambers Europe 2023/2024, The Legal500 2025, JUVE Awards 2016, azur Top Employer 2018/2020/2026, Employer of the Year nomination 2025), referral networks, and a distinctive Jaguar-themed advertising campaign running since 2014. Cross-border mandates are executed through co-advisory relationships with peer firms (e.g., Swiss MME Legal on the Blackroll/eaze deal) and via partner-level international credentials such as an NYU LLM held by senior partner Dr. Daniel Müller-Etienne.

The firm delivers its expertise through a lean partner-led model pairing senior partners (Dr. Daniel Müller-Etienne for tax and structuring, Dr. Lars F. Freytag and Nikolaus Hofstetter for M&A) with a developing bench of counsel and associates. Specialist mandates (IP/IT, employment, tax due diligence, merger control, financial due diligence) are typically delivered in conjunction with external specialist counsel. The firm has no proprietary technology platform or AI/ML capabilities. Recent internal succession includes the promotion of Vanessa Trixi David to Partner (effective 1 January 2026) and Dr. Mirco Schmutzler to Counsel (effective 1 August 2025), indicating deliberate bench development at the senior level.

Name

Wendelstein

Legal name

Wendelstein Rechtsanwälte PartGmbB

Website

https://wendelstein.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wendelstein is an independent Frankfurt-based commercial law firm advising mid-market and enterprise companies, family-owned businesses, and private equity and venture capital funds on M&A, corporate, dispute resolution, real estate, tax, and restructuring matters in German-speaking markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) & Securities Law (BPAHAAAI)

Keywords

• Mergers and acquisitions
• Corporate legal advisory
• Dispute resolution
• Private equity law
• Commercial law services

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfurt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Advisory Services: Revenue generated through billable hours for legal advisory services across corporate law, M&A transactions, dispute resolution, tax advisory, and related legal services for mid-market and enterprise clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Wendelstein is an independent commercial law firm providing legal advisory and notary services to mid-market and enterprise clients in Germany. Its practice covers M&A, corporate law, dispute resolution, private equity and venture capital, real estate law, restructuring and insolvency, capital markets, financing, tax law and succession planning, and notary services. Revenue is generated through billable hours and transaction-based fees negotiated per matter.

Product overview

Wendelstein is a law firm (Wendelstein Rechtsanwälte PartGmbB) based in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The firm provides legal advisory services in the core areas of commercial law, with a particular focus on M&A/Corporate and Dispute Resolution. The firm's expertise includes Conflict Resolution, Mergers & Acquisitions, Corporate Law, Private Equity and Venture Capital, Real Estate Law, Restructuring and Insolvency Law, Capital Market Law, Financing, Tax Law and Succession Planning, and Notary services. Wendelstein does not offer a software product, platform, or technology solution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) Advisory Legal advisory on national and international M&A transactions, including buyer and seller representation, due diligence coordination, deal structuring, and post-M&A support for mid-market and enterprise clients.
• Corporate Law Advisory Legal advisory on corporate law matters including governance, joint ventures, restructurings, and general corporate support for companies and investors.
• Dispute Resolution Legal advisory and representation in litigation before state courts and arbitration proceedings, with a focus on corporate disputes, post-M&A disputes, stock law disputes, and complex financial and fund-related disputes.
• Private Equity and Venture Capital Advisory Legal counsel for PE and VC investors on investment transactions, portfolio company acquisitions, management participation programs, and venture capital financings in the German market.
• Real Estate Law (Immobilienwirtschaftsrecht) Legal advisory on the full spectrum of real estate law, including real estate transactions, joint ventures, and tax-optimized structuring of real estate purchases and sales.
• Restructuring and Insolvency Law Legal advisory on corporate restructurings, insolvency proceedings, and distressed situations for companies, creditors, and investors.
• Capital Markets Law (Kapitalmarktrecht) Legal advisory on capital markets transactions and regulatory matters for corporate clients and investors.
• Financing Advisory Legal advisory on financing transactions, including acquisition financing and lending matters, for corporate clients and financial institutions.
• Tax Law and Succession Planning Legal advisory on tax law and tax-optimized structuring, with a particular focus on succession planning, (management) participations, and the structuring of company and real estate purchases and sales.
• Notary Services Notary services supporting corporate, real estate, and succession transactions requiring notarial certification and documentation.

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, co-advisor, joint advisory, tax advisory, tax due diligence and regulatory advisory.

• Lexantis (Thomas Becker)supportingTechnology or Integration · 16 October 2025Lexantis provided IP and IT legal advice on the Kentix/ASSA ABLOY transaction, supporting Wendelstein's team on technology-related legal matters.
• backup.legal (Dr. Jens Jensen)supportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partnerbackup.legal provided employment law expertise on the Kentix/ASSA ABLOY transaction, complementing Wendelstein's M&A and corporate advisory team.
• Clifford Chance (Dr. Moritz Petersen)co-advisorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClifford Chance served as advisor to ASSA ABLOY on the Kentix acquisition, working on the opposing side of the transaction advised by Wendelstein.
• MME Legaljoint advisoryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss law firm MME Legal jointly advised with Wendelstein on the Blackroll acquisition of eaze, providing cross-border transaction expertise.
• held jaguttis (Dr. Simeon Held)supportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partnerheld jaguttis provided public subsidy law advice to Wendelstein's team on the Blackroll/eaze transaction.
• NOVACOS Rechtsanwälte (Maria Heil, Guram Gobechia)supportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNOVACOS provided Health Care legal expertise on the Blackroll/eaze transaction, supporting Wendelstein's advisory team.
• RLT Ruhrmann Tieben & Partner mbBtax advisoryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRLT Ruhrmann Tieben & Partner provided tax and business advisory services on the VOGEL-BAUER/MKM transaction, working closely with Wendelstein.
• Dr. Wehberg und Partner mbBco-advisorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Wehberg und Partner mbB advised the MKM group on the VOGEL-BAUER acquisition, collaborating with Wendelstein who advised the selling families.
• Dr. Kleeberg & Partner (Dr. Lars Lüdemann)tax due diligenceImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDr. Kleeberg & Partner provided Tax Due Diligence services on the NFON/botario acquisition.
• Blomstein (Dr. Anna Blume Huttenlauch, Dr. Roland Stein, Dr. Laura Louca, Ana Carolina Vidal, Marie-Luise Heuer)regulatory advisoryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBlomstein provided merger control and foreign trade law expertise to Wendelstein's team on the Salzgitter/Mannesmann Stainless Tubes transaction.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Clifford Chance Germany:

Direct peers

• POELLATH: Independent Munich- and Frankfurt-based German law firm specializing in M&A, private equity, and tax-driven succession advisory. Highly comparable to Wendelstein as a similarly sized, independent German boutique competing in the same mid-market M&A and family-business space.
• Noerr: Independent European law firm with a strong Frankfurt presence advising on M&A, private equity, restructuring, and tax. Directly comparable to Wendelstein in German mid-market M&A and dispute resolution work.
• Heuking: German full-service commercial law firm headquartered in Cologne with offices in Frankfurt and other cities. Competes with Wendelstein in M&A, corporate, and mid-market transactional work.
• Luther Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft: German full-service law firm with strong M&A and corporate practice. Competes with Wendelstein across mid-market German M&A, restructuring, and corporate advisory mandates.
• GSK Stockmann: German independent law firm focused on real estate, corporate/M&A, and finance. Directly comparable to Wendelstein in mid-market transactions, real estate law, and capital markets work.
• Ebner Stolz (RSM): German mid-market advisory firm combining legal, tax, and audit services with strong M&A and corporate practice. Comparable to Wendelstein as a Mittelstand-focused advisor, particularly on succession and tax-driven transactions.

Broad incumbents

• Taylor Wessing Germany: International law firm with a significant German practice advising on M&A, private equity, and technology transactions. Broader geographic footprint and scale than Wendelstein, but overlapping mid-market client base.
• Hengeler Mueller: One of Germany's leading magic-circle law firms, advising on the largest German M&A, capital markets, and corporate transactions. Competes with Wendelstein on larger or more complex mandates, and is the prior employer of Wendelstein partner Dr. Daniel Müller-Etienne.
• Freshfields Germany: International magic-circle law firm with a strong Frankfurt M&A and corporate practice. Competes with Wendelstein for mid-market German M&A mandates that have an international or large-cap character.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wendelstein