Profile

MHBK in brief

Müller-Heydenreich Beutler & Kollegen (MHBK) is a law firm that specializes in insolvency proceedings. It has been one of the leading firms in Germany in this field for many years. The firm also provides advice in employment, real estate and corporate law.

Structure of the law firm

MHBK currently has 11 attorneys, of which six are insolvency administrators and six are partners, as well as some 30 employees. The local courts in Munich, Rosenheim, Memmingen, Landshut, Augsburg and Meiningen have been appointing Barbara Beutler, Axel W. Bierbach, Oliver Schartl, Thomas E. Funk, Dr. Stefan Debus and Wolfgang Stölzel as administrators for many years.

The restriction of the six administrators to two to three courts ensures that they can for the most part handle proceedings personally. In this way, MHBK can always deliver consistently high-quality work at a reasonable cost with no communications problems.

History

The firm was founded in 1964 by Eckhart Müller-Heydenreich, who, after serving as mayor of Munich from 1972 to 1978, expanded it into a practice specialising in insolvency administration. Barbara Beutler, whose name is also included in the firms name, has been a member of the firm since 1985. The other partners Thomas E. Funk, Axel W. Bierbach, Christian Beutler, Oliver Schartl and Dr. Stefan Debus joined the firm between 1994 and 2001.

Practice areas

Müller-Heydenreich Beutler & Kollegen focuses above all on continuing and restructuring insolvent businesses. This ensures better recovery rates for creditors – often far higher than the average – and helps to preserve jobs. MHBK has continued many businesses successfully and profitably over several months or even years, and examples including the restaurant Nürnberger Bratwurst Glöckl am Dom (Munich), Auto-König Service GmbH (Munich), HVS Kabeltechnik GmbH (Munich) and Merkers-Rad GmbH & Co. KG (Bad Salzungen).

Besides the traditional insolvency involving an asset deal, a particular strength of MBHK is the reorganization of business operations under an insolvency plan. The firm has reorganized and preserved numerous businesses under such insolvency plan proceedings, including Wienerwald AG (Munich), Kohnle GmbH (Kolbermoor), Meindl/VMR Druck Group (Munich), Gasthof Kreitmair GmbH (Munich), DDZ Digitales Druckzentrum (Munich), CMS Complete Media Service GmbH (Munich), Anton Podgorski, owner of TKV (Munich) und Stumbaum GmbH (Munich). In all cases, the insolvency plans drawn up by MHBK were unanimously approved and the companies, together with all employees, remained in business.

Internal and external networks

Müller-Heydenreich Beutler & Kollegen has a team of long-serving employees that work outstandingly well together and a professional network of insolvency administration law firms, management consultants, tax consulting and audit firms in Germany and other countries.

The firm has particular expertise in handling cross-border insolvency proceedings, for example in the application of the EU Insolvency Regulation. In Germany, the insolvency proceedings for Hettlage KG aA were one of the first to be carried out under the EU Insolvency Regulation. Early 2007, Axel W. Bierbach was appointed as secondary insolvency administrator of BenQ Mobile Holding B.V., Amsterdam, by the local court of Munich.

Principle of independence

To guarantee personal independence and rule out conflicts of interest, MHBK provides no advice prior to an insolvency. This fundamental decision ensures the independence of the insolvency administrator as protector of the interests of all involved parties as well as unrestricted availability and readiness to act as and when required.

Certification

In August 2008, MHBK was one of the first insolvency administration law firms in Germany, and the first in Bavaria, to be certified in accordance with DIN EN ISO 9001:2000 and InsO 9001. In connection with the certification, Müller-Heydenreich Beutler & Kollegen developed and implemented a customized quality management system.

What others say about MHBK

"The generational change in the traditional, recommended law firm appears to be a very successful example now that Barbara Beutler has stopped taking on new proceedings and Bierbach has assumed the management role in the administration business. At the main office in Munich, he is frequently the top choice for high-profile proceedings. Two newly appointed partners – an administrator and a tax consultant – have strengthened the ranks."
JUVE Manual 2009/2010 German Commercial Law Firms (extract)

"The law firm, which is recommended for insolvency administration, has several administrators that are often appointed and that insolvency courts like to appoint in high-profile proceedings, for example those involving well-known restaurant businesses. Locally, they remain one of the top firms for larger, complex cases such as that of the Oldenbourg Group, whose business had to be liquidated."
JUVE Manual 2008/2009 German Commercial Law Firms (extract)