Torsten Sauer

Managing Partner

Luxembourg
Luxembourg
T:+352 (28) 5739255
Luxembourg
Luxembourg
T:+352 (28) 5739255
Torsten Sauer

Torsten Sauer

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Biography

Torsten Sauer is a corporate and M&A lawyer and is the Managing Partner of Norton Rose Fulbright Luxembourg SCS. Torsten set up and is heading the Luxembourg corporate, mergers & acquisitions, private equity and real estate practices, the growth of which he has been successfully driving for the last few years domestically and internally.

Torsten has an important transaction-focussed, cross-border practice spanning several industries, strategies, and geographic regions. His clients include top-flight asset managers, hedge funds, real estate market participants (such as real estate funds/REITs, project developers, mutual funds, family offices, W&I insurers, etc.), stock-exchange listed multinationals, major financial institutions, PSFs and (re)insurance undertakings, which he advises on all aspects of corporate law and governance matters, the structuring of corporate finance transactions, the setting up and negotiation of strategic joint ventures, reorganisations, (re)-financings, as well as mergers & acquisitions.

His legal counsel is also regularly sought after by a cluster of important Ultra-High-Net-Worth-Individuals with regards to the structuring of their private wealth and related governance matters.

Additionally, Torsten advised over the last few years on some of the most important transactions of the Luxembourg market in the venture capital and Fintech space.

Torsten earned law degrees from the universities of Saarland (Diplom-Jurist), Panthéon-Assas (Maîtrise), and Cornell (LLM) and is a graduate of HEC School of Management (Paris). Torsten holds a certificate in private international law from the Hague Academy of International Law.

He is a standing member of the New York, Paris and Luxembourg bars and is fully proficient in English, French and German.

Prior to joining the firm, Torsten worked for leading international law firms in Paris, New York and Luxembourg. He is recommended by the leading legal directories, including The Legal 500, IFLR1000 and Leaders League. Torsten is named as the exclusive winner in the area of M&A for Luxembourg at the Lexology Client Choice Awards 2024.

Professional experience

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  • Attorney at law New York
  • Avocat à la Cour Luxembourg
  • Avocat au barreau de Paris
  • Advised Kneip Management on its sale of Kneip Communications S.A. to Deutsche Börse.
  • Advised a major beverage producer in relation to a merger with two other bottlers to form the largest independent bottler.
  • Advised the ventures arm of a global group of energy and petrochemical companies on its investment in a German digital freight forwarding start-up.
  • Advised a major listed Canadian retail group in relation to the Luxembourg aspects of an acquisition of a German chain of department stores in a transaction worth EUR 2.5 billion.
  • Advised one of the world's largest listed outdoor apparel retailers in relation to the acquisition of a boot maker in a transaction worth USD 2 billion.
  • Advised a listed British multinational grocery and general merchandise retailer on the Luxembourg aspects of a major international restructuring.
  • Advised a global pharmaceutical company in relation to (i) the acquisition of a Switzerland-based global generics company in a transaction worth EUR 4.25 billion, creating the world's third largest generics company; and (ii) the subsequent acquisition of an Irish pharmaceutical company in a stock-for-stock transaction valued at approximately USD 8.5 billion.
  • Advised Resolution Property Holdings on the purchase of the iconic Royal Exchange offices in the centre of the City of London, comprising 68,023 sq ft of space over four floors.
  • Advised a joint venture led and advised by Deutsche Finance International (a global investment firm being part of the Deutsche Finance Group) and Yoo Capital (a UK-focused institutional investor, developer and asset manager) on the acquisition of the Olympia London Exhibition Centre from the listed London property company Capital & Counties Properties PLC.
  • Advised Europe's largest asset manager, by market capitalization, in connection with the indirect acquisition by two of its French funds of shares in a Luxembourg target company, indirectly holding two real estate properties in Germany and shareholder loans.
  • Advised Generali Real Estate SGR, the investment manager of the Europe Income Holding S.A. fund, on the sale of the "Arnulfbogen" office property in Munich to institutional investor Art-Invest Real Estate, acquiring the office property for a fund owned by Bayerische Versorgungskammer and managed by Universal-Investment.
  • Advised Warburg-HIH, one of the leading investment managers for real estate in Germany and Europe, on the acquisition of three real estate assets in the logistics sectors from Goodman Group.
  • Advised the Makios family in connection with the sale of part of their stake in Makios Logistics, a family business operating in the integrated logistics services sector, to H.I.G. Capital.
  • Advised the Swiss investment manager SUSI Partners AG on the sale of an international portfolio of wind and solar parks with assets in Belgium, Italy, France and Finland.
  • Acted as Luxembourg legal advisor to SunMan S.à r.l. (ultimately held by Sunsuper, which is an Australian public offer superannuation fund based in Australia and which manages A$ 79 billion of assets) as regards the sale of certain shares held by SunMan S.à r.l. in Space Station HoldCo S.à r.l. to HEVP Space S.à r.l. (held ultimately by Heitman, as asset manager, which manages more than $5 billion of self-storage assets across the globe).
  • Advised Hermes Infrastructure on the sale of its 25.6% managed interest in Energy Assets Group Limited to a consortium comprising European institutional investors and an infrastructure fund.  
  • Advised Sandvik AB on its EUR 943m acquisition of DSI Underground, a multinational underground mining solutions company, from Triton Partners.
  • Advised Apicil with respect to its acquisition of the Luxembourg based group OneLife.

Lexology Client Choice Award Winner 2024, M&A, Luxembourg

  • "Torsten Sauer is a very reliable and pragmatic advisor."
  • "Mr Sauer combines excellent legal and commercial knowledge in his sector."
  • "Torsten is always able to find a practical solution to difficult situations which is highly appreciated by his clients."
  • "With Torsten's very hands on approach and impressive responsiveness he is clearly standing out in the Luxembourg market."

Who's Who Legal 2024, M&A and Governance

  • "Torsten Sauer enjoys a fantastic reputation for his international M&A practice, with clients describing him as "a pragmatic and responsive lawyer"."

Tier 4: Commercial, Corporate and M&A, Luxembourg, Legal 500 EMEA, 2024

  • "Torsten Sauer is extremely user-friendly."
  • "Knowledgeable and professional, but also pragmatic."
  • "They provide very commercial and responsive advice."

Excellent: Real Estate, Luxembourg, Leaders League, 2024

Highly recommended: Corporate/M&A, Private equity, Restructuring & Insolvency, Luxembourg, Leaders League, 2024

Highly recommended: Corporate/M&A, Luxembourg, Leaders League, 2023

Tier 4: Commercial, Corporate and M&A, Luxembourg, Legal 500 EMEA, 2023
Team head Torsten Sauer is 'very practical, commercial and user-friendly'. 

Notable, M&A, IFLR1000, 2023

  • English
  • French
  • German