Speaker details

Biography

Dieter Gericke heads the Corporate | M&A practice team. He focuses on M&A (including public takeovers and defense), equity capital markets (incl. IPOs), private equity and financing. He advises in matters of corporate law and governance, as well as securities regulations. He is an Authorized Issuers' Representative at the SIX Swiss Exchange. Dieter Gericke's assignments included advising China National Chemical Corporation (ChemChina) in the public takeover of Syngenta, Bühler in the acquisition of Haas Group, Givaudan in the acquisition of Activ International, Mubadala in the sale of SR Technics to HNA, Zur Rose Group in its IPO at SIX Swiss Exchange, Kuros Biosurgery in its reverse merger | listing with Cytos Biotechnology, Infront Sports & Media Group in its sale to Dalian Wanda Group, ADC Therapeutics in equity private placements, BB Biotech AG in its defense against Bank Vontobel's unsolicited takeover approach, Nestlé in the sale of Alcon to Novartis, Kering Group in its acquisition of Ulysse Nardin and SCOR in the unsolicited takeover of Converium. He has long-standing experience in assisting boards of directors and managements of public and private companies in corporate governance matters and specific challenges like shareholder activism and -claims, proxy-fights, regulatory matters, reorganizations and directors' & officers' liability. Dieter Gericke has a particularly strong foothold in the life sciences, engineering and technology as well as insurance industries. Dieter Gericke has spoken on various panels of the International Bar Association, where he is a member of the Corporate and M&A Committee and Vice-Chair of the Securities Law Committee. He has chaired or been a speaker at numerous conferences with recent speaking topics including shareholder activism, influence of proxy advisors, tactics and timing in negotiations, takeover laws, trade sale transactions or joint ventures. In his areas of practice Dieter Gericke authored various publications and legal opinions, including on mergers & acquisitions, securities laws, directors' and officers' duties and liability and say-on-pay regulations. Dieter Gericke joined Homburger as an associate in 2000 and has been partner since 2004 and head of the Corporate M&A practice team since 2014. Since 2010, he also heads the Homburger China Group. He studied law at the University of Zurich, where he graduated and accomplished his doctorate, both summa cum laude. In 1999, he graduated from Harvard Law School with an LL.M. In addition, Dieter Gericke studied one semester at Université de Paris II (Assas). Dieter Gericke is a member of the boards of directors of Syngenta AG, a leading agriculture company, and of Gericke Group, which produces powder processing equipment and systems for food, pharma and chemical industries. In addition, for some twenty years, he has served in honorary capacity as a member of the board of supervisors of Theater an der Winkelwiese, Zurich.