KOLJA STEHL offers clients a wealth of experience and knowledge of the financial services regulatory landscape in Germany and across Europe. He advises banks, broker dealers, fund managers, insurers, clearing houses, trading platforms and settlement systems on German and EU regulations, both in respect of their day-to-day business operations, as well as in the context of M&A and private equity transactions. Drawing on his broad finance background, Kolja has also been at the forefront of some of the most prominent restructurings of European banks.
This is available in:
- English
- Deutsch

Partner
Kolja Stehl
Financial Institutions
Banking and Financial Services
Insurance
Investment Funds
Banking and Financial Services
Insurance
Investment Funds
Experience
- Representative Matters
Representative matters include advising:
Financial services regulation
- Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, in its acquisition of the treaty reinsurance brokerage operations of Willis Towers Watson for US$3.25 billion.
- Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. on its US$3.57 billion acquisition of Willis Towers Watson Assets.
- Athene Holding in connection with its proposed merger with Apollo Global Management.
- Summit Partners on its €50 million investment in Solactive AG, a technology-enabled provider of indices and index solutions to the global financial services industry.
- Munich Re on £1 billion longevity swap with Willis Pension Scheme.
- Munich Re on €3.8 billion longevity risk transfer with NN Life Netherlands.
- Allianz on the sale of its majority stake in Oldenburgische Landesbank to Bremer Kreditbank.
- A U.S. bank on its German market entry and the establishment of a bank branch in Frankfurt am Main.
- A large private equity firm in relation to the restrictions on short selling and uncovered sovereign CDS in several European jurisdictions.
- An Italian marketplace on the EU and German regime for payment services and E-money.
- Various EU and U.S. clearing houses in relation to the provision of clearing services in Germany.
- Various non-EU asset managers on the implications of regulatory reforms for their transactions with EU banks and broker dealers and their access to EU investors.
- Various banks, insurers and providers of financial market infrastructure in relation to their Brexit contingency planning.
- Various banks and hedge funds in relation to the structuring of regulatory capital and the phasing out of legacy instruments.
Bank restructuring and resolution
- A bondholder group in connection with the restructuring of HSH Nordbank.
- A hedge fund with regard to its investment in Nord/LB.
- Various asset managers with regard to their investments in Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, Veneto Banca and Banca Popolare di Vicenza.
- Piraeus Bank on its €4.9 billion recapitalization and Eurobank Ergasias on its €2 billion recapitalization.
- A group of subordinated bondholders in relation to the resolution of Banco Espírito Santo.
- WestLB, BayernLB and Hypo Real Estate on the establishment of risk shields for their structured finance portfolios and other crisis management measures taken in 2008 and 2009.
*Some of the above matters were handled by Kolja prior to joining Sidley.
Capabilities
SERVICES AND INDUSTRIES
- Banking and Financial Services
- Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
- Financial Institutions
- Insurance
- Investment Funds
- Private Equity
- Restructuring
- Asset-Backed Securitization
- Asset-Based Lending
- Business Transactions Involving Financial Institutions
- Derivatives
- Exchanges and Clearing Organizations
- Financial Institutions Counseling
- Financial Services Legislation
- Global Financial Services
- Hedge Funds
- Hedge Funds and Other Investment Funds as Credit Providers
- Insurance Corporate Finance
- Insurance M&A
- Insurance Regulatory
- Mortgage-Backed Securitization
News & Insights
Credentials
Admissions & Certifications
- England and Wales (Registered Foreign Lawyer)
- Germany – Attorney at Law
Education
- University of Oxford, Mag. jur., 2007
- University of Bonn, Ph.D., 2007
- Higher Regional Court of Düsseldorf, Second State Exam, 2006
- University of Cologne, First State Exam, 2002
- University of Aix-Marseille, Maîtrise en Droit Privé, 2000
Languages
- English
- French
- German