Private Equity in Germany: An assessment of transactions, structures and players

Abstract

Since the last global financial crisis, private equity activities have increased again in Germany. This article provides an overview of developments between 2012 and 2018 from an employee perspective. It shows the volume and sectoral focus of company takeovers, the new owners after the exit of financial investors, and the proportion of companies in which parity co-determination is practiced. It also examines the most active private equity firms, their funds, their returns and their use of tax havens.