Press Release

A team led by Munich-based M&A Partner Boris Dürr advised Schön Klinik SE comprehensively on all legal aspects of the acquisition of the imland hospital group. For Schön Klinik Group, this is the largest acquisition in the company's more than 35-year history. The acquired imland Kliniken treat around 90,000 patients per year with approximately 2,300 employees and 800 planned beds and most recently generated sales of around 200 million euros. The takeover will be completed as part of a insolvency plan procedure, which once again underlined the value of the seamless collaboration between Dürr’s M&A team and the reorganization experts led by Hamburg-based Partner Dr. Johan Schneider. In a structured bidding process, Schön Klinik SE prevailed against several co-bidders, including other private operators and a university hospital. On December 9, 2022, the imland hospitals’ operating company had applied for insolvency protection proceedings in self-administration and started an investor process with assistance of a professional team of advisors led by general representative Dr. Rainer Eckert and administrator Stefan Denkhaus, as well as Deloitte’s M&A advisory team.With Schön Klinik an experienced hospital operater is now taking over all imland sites. In addition to the major hospital in Rendsburg and the specialist hospital in Eckernförde, this includes a regional medical care center with several sites in the region. Closing of the transaction is subject to the approval of the Federal Cartel Office and the acceptance of the insolvency plan by the competent insolvency court.

The Heuking team advised Schön Klinik SE on all relevant legal issues in the transaction. In addition to legal due diligence and support in the bidding process, including contract negotiations, the advice by the teams led by Heuking partners Boris Dürr (M&A) and Dr. Johan Schneider (Reorganization) also includes specifically advice on complex issues relating to employment law and to merger control proceedings at the Federal Cartel Office. Boris Dürr had advised Schön group on similar transactions in the past, such as the takeover of the Dominikus hospital in Düsseldorf, also as part of a bidding process out of insolvency.

The imland hospital group was formed by the merger of its Rendsburg and Eckernförde hospitals, which are forming part of the German Hospital Plan, and also includes several outpatient facilities with a inlet area that extends far beyond the district borders. As an academic teaching hospital for Christian Albrechts University in Kiel, the imland hospitals are also an integral part of medical training and continuing education. Until now, the hospitals were operated by local public authorities.

Munich-based Schön Klinik group is one of Germany’s largest privately-owned hospital groups and currently operates 46 inpatient, day-clinic and outpatient facilities in Germany and additional healthcare facilities in the United Kingdom. Its medical specialties include psychosomatics, orthopedics, neurology, surgery and internal medicine. The group also owns MindDoc, a leading online therapy provider. With over 12,000 employees, Schön Klinik group generates annual sales in excess of EUR 1 billion.

Counsel to Schön Klinik SE
Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek:
Boris Dürr (Lead M&A), Munich,
Dr. Johan Schneider (Lead Reorganization), Hamburg,
Christian Schild, LL.M. (Corporate /M&A),
Marcel Greubel (Corporate /M&A),
Andreas Schruff (Corporate /M&A),
Dr. Oliver Treptow (Hospital Law),
Catarina Angelika Seemann, LL.M. (Hospital Law),
Dr. Reinhard Siegert (Antitrust),
Dr. Ruth Schneider (Antitrust),
Bettina Neheider (Public Law), all Munich,
Dr. Johan-Michel Menke, LL.M. (Employment),
Dr. Arietta von Stechow (Employment),
Dr. Christina Küster (Reorganization),
Dr. Sönke Görgens (Real Estate),
Nils Leon Bojert (Real Estate),
Jeannine Drossart (Real Estate), all Hamburg
Michael-Alexander Kuska, LL.M., LL.M. (IT/Data Protection)
Julian Rosenfeld (IT/Data Protection), both Düsseldorf