Team &
Expertise

Astera excels in exceptional performance. We aim to set shining precedents through our counselling services. Loyalty, integrity and reliability are the foundations on which our mandates are built.

Our unique approach and our highly specialised, long-standing finance expertise enable us to shape the course of business on behalf of our clients. We strive to empower German mid-caps, to position mid-caps as viable players for years to come and to ensure our clients succeed by providing them with the best possible advice in every respect.

Our top-class professional, international and yet deeply people-oriented advice re-defines the role of legal advisors in managed firms.

OUR
Team

Till Buschmann

Partner

Dr. Bernd Egbers

Partner

Isabell Hitzer

Partner

Sebastian Deininger

Associate

Philipp Hogrefe

Counsel

Daniel Kriesmair

Associate

Philipp Kropatscheck Nguyen

Special Counsel

Claudia Kupka

Transaction Analyst

Benedikt Ruck

Senior Associate

Dr. Lena Verdenhalven

Counsel

Zacharias Woltering-Schlenker

Associate

OUR Expertise: Finance & Restructuring.

We advise on complex financing and restructuring processes with a deep understanding of the market and economic foresight. Our focus is on leveraged buy-outs and corporate lending as well as the support of lenders, investors and companies in challenging financing situations. Due to our close relationships with the relevant market participants, we recognize trends at an early stage and implement the economic interests of our clients in a targeted manner.

In restructuring, we develop practicable and often innovative solutions for companies in crisis and insolvency situations. Our experience and our extensive industry network enable us to utilize national and international instruments in a targeted manner in order to achieve economically viable results.

Rankings

According to several international rankings and awards, we rank among the top. Below we provide an excerpt from our rankings, and thank all those who have supported us in achieving these distinctions.

2027
Handelsblatt in cooperation with Best Lawyers
.m
2024
Shortlisted for the Chambers Germany Award
2021
Chambers Global
Chambers Europe

Dr. Bernd Egbers among the “Top 30 Lawyers” Banking & Finance – Germany.

2018
Chambers Global
JUVE Handbuch
Legal 500
Best Lawyers/Handelsblatt

Chambers Global 2018
Chambers recommends Dr. Bernd Egbers, “Clients appreciate his very strong negotiation skills and extremely commercial understanding as well as pragmatic and solution-oriented approach.”

JUVE Handbook 2018/19
Recommended lawyer for Banking & Finance is Dr. Bernd Egbers. He is appreciated by Juve as a “real expert” and described as “very competent and commercial”.

Legal 500 2018
Dr. Bernd Egbers is recommended as a lawyer for Banking & Finance. Appreciated is “his very good commercial understanding and his extraordinary negotiation skills in deadlocked situations”.

Best Lawyers/Handelsblatt 2018
Dr. Bernd Egbers
is recommended as a leading lawyer in his field.

2026
Handelsblatt in cooperation with Best Lawyers 2023
Leaders League Germany 2026
Legal 500 Germany
Chambers Global
Chambers Germany
Capital in cooperation with Statista
2023
Handelsblatt in cooperation with Best Lawyers 2023

Isabell Hitzer is among the “Best Lawyers” in the areas of Private Equity, M&A, Corporate Law, Venture Capital and Litigation as well as Banking and Finance Law.

Dr. Bernd Egbers s awarded “Lawyer of the Year 2023” for Banking and Finance Law.

2020
Chambers Global
Chambers Europe
Handelsblatt in cooperation with Best Lawyers 2020

Chambers Global and Chambers Europe 2020
Chambers awards Dr. Bernd Egbers for his expertise in refinancing, acquisition finance and corporate finance. One client appreciates him for his “strong technical knowledge and commercial awareness.”

Handelsblatt in cooperation with Best Lawyers 2020
Dr. Bernd Egbers is named “Lawyer of the Year 2019” for Banking and Finance Law.

Isabell Hitzer is among the “Best Lawyers” in the areas of Private Equity, M&A, Corporate Law, Venture Capital and Banking and Finance Law.

2017
Chambers Europe
JUVE Handbuch
Legal 500

Chambers Europe 2017
Chambers Global recommends Dr. Bernd Egbers, saying he “conducts negotiations very well and eloquently.”

Juve Handbook 2017/18
The recommended lawyer for Banking & Finance is Dr. Bernd Egbers. He is valued as a “real expert” and described as “very competent and commercial”.

Legal 500 2017
Dr. Bernd Egbers
is recommended as a lawyer for Banking & Finance. Appreciated is “his very good commercial understanding and exceptional negotiating skills in deadlocked situations.”

2025
Handelsblatt in cooperation with Best Lawyers 2022
JUVE Ranking
IFLR1000
2022
Handelsblatt in cooperation with Best Lawyers 2022

Isabell Hitzer is among the “Best Lawyers” in the areas of Private Equity, M&A, Corporate Law, Venture Capital and Litigation as well as Banking and Finance Law.

Dr. Bernd Egbers is awarded “Lawyer of the Year 2022” for Banking and Finance Law.

2019
Chambers Global
Legal 500
Best Lawyers/Handelsblatt

Chambers Global 2019
Chambers recommends Dr. Bernd Egbers for the area of Banking & Finance.

Legal 500 2019
Dr. Bernd Egbers, is recommended as a Banking & Finance lawyer.

Appreciated is “his very good commercial understanding and his extraordinary negotiation skills in deadlocked situations.”

Best Lawyers/Handelsblatt 2019
Dr. Bernd Egbers,
Partner, Munich, is awarded “Lawyer of the Year 2019 for Leveraged Buy-Outs” by Best Lawyers in cooperation with Handelsblatt

2016
Chambers Europe
JUVE Handbuch
Legal 500

Chambers Global 2016
Chambers recommends Dr. Bernd Egbers as a lawyer in his field of expertise.

JUVE Handbook 2016/17
The recommended lawyer for Banking & Finance is Dr. Bernd Egbers. He is appreciated by Juve as a “real expert” and described as “very competent and commercial”. He is also an “outstanding corporate and M&A lawyer”.

Legal 500 2016
Dr. Bernd Egbers
is recommended as a lawyer for Banking & Finance. Appreciated is “his very good commercial understanding and his extraordinary negotiation skills in deadlocked situations”.

2024
Shortlisted für den Chambers Germany Award
2023
Handelsblatt in cooperation with Best Lawyers 2023

Isabell Hitzer is among the “Best Lawyers” in the areas of Private Equity, M&A, Corporate Law, Venture Capital and Litigation as well as Banking and Finance Law.

Dr. Bernd Egbers s awarded “Lawyer of the Year 2023” for Banking and Finance Law.

2022
Handelsblatt in cooperation with Best Lawyers 2022

Isabell Hitzer is among the “Best Lawyers” in the areas of Private Equity, M&A, Corporate Law, Venture Capital and Litigation as well as Banking and Finance Law.

Dr. Bernd Egbers is awarded “Lawyer of the Year 2022” for Banking and Finance Law.

2021
Chambers Global
Chambers Europe

Dr. Bernd Egbers among the “Top 30 Lawyers” Banking & Finance – Germany.

2020
Chambers Global
Chambers Europe
Handelsblatt in cooperation with Best Lawyers 2020

Chambers Global and Chambers Europe 2020
Chambers awards Dr. Bernd Egbers for his expertise in refinancing, acquisition finance and corporate finance. One client appreciates him for his “strong technical knowledge and commercial awareness.”

Handelsblatt in cooperation with Best Lawyers 2020
Dr. Bernd Egbers is named “Lawyer of the Year 2019” for Banking and Finance Law.

Isabell Hitzer is among the “Best Lawyers” in the areas of Private Equity, M&A, Corporate Law, Venture Capital and Banking and Finance Law.

2019
Chambers Global
Legal 500
Best Lawyers/Handelsblatt

Chambers Global 2019
Chambers recommends Dr. Bernd Egbers for the area of Banking & Finance.

Legal 500 2019
Dr. Bernd Egbers, is recommended as a Banking & Finance lawyer.

Appreciated is “his very good commercial understanding and his extraordinary negotiation skills in deadlocked situations.”

Best Lawyers/Handelsblatt 2019
Dr. Bernd Egbers, Partner, Munich, is awarded “Lawyer of the Year 2019 for Leveraged Buy-Outs” by Best Lawyers in cooperation with Handelsblatt

2018
Chambers Global
JUVE Handbuch
Legal 500
Best Lawyers/Handelsblatt

Chambers Global 2018
Chambers recommends Dr. Bernd Egbers, “Clients appreciate his very strong negotiation skills and extremely commercial understanding as well as pragmatic and solution-oriented approach.”

JUVE Handbook 2018/19
Recommended lawyer for Banking & Finance is Dr. Bernd Egbers. He is appreciated by Juve as a “real expert” and described as “very competent and commercial”.

Legal 500 2018
Dr. Bernd Egbers is recommended as a lawyer for Banking & Finance. Appreciated is “his very good commercial understanding and his extraordinary negotiation skills in deadlocked situations”.

Best Lawyers/Handelsblatt 2018
Dr. Bernd Egbers is recommended as a leading lawyer in his field.

2017
Chambers Europe
JUVE Handbuch
Legal 500

Chambers Europe 2017
Chambers Global recommends Dr. Bernd Egbers, saying he “conducts negotiations very well and eloquently.”

Juve Handbook 2017/18
The recommended lawyer for Banking & Finance is Dr. Bernd Egbers. He is valued as a “real expert” and described as “very competent and commercial”.

Legal 500 2017
Dr. Bernd Egbers is recommended as a lawyer for Banking & Finance. Appreciated is “his very good commercial understanding and exceptional negotiating skills in deadlocked situations.”

2016
Chambers Europe
JUVE Handbuch
Legal 500

Chambers Global 2016
Chambers recommends Dr. Bernd Egbers as a lawyer in his field of expertise.

JUVE Handbook 2016/17
The recommended lawyer for Banking & Finance is Dr. Bernd Egbers. He is appreciated by Juve as a “real expert” and described as “very competent and commercial”. He is also an “outstanding corporate and M&A lawyer”.

Legal 500 2016
Dr. Bernd Egbers is recommended as a lawyer for Banking & Finance. Appreciated is “his very good commercial understanding and his extraordinary negotiation skills in deadlocked situations”.