Christoph Schalast

Christoph Schalast is a Professor of Mergers & Acquisitions, Business Law, and European Law at Frankfurt School of Finance & Management since 2002. He founded the Master of Mergers & Acquisitions program in 2005 and established the research area of non-performing loans (NPLs) at Frankfurt School. He chairs the annual M&A/Private Equity Conference and the Frankfurt Institute for Private Equity and M&A (FIPEMA), and has been recognized as a top M&A lawyer by WirtschaftsWoche (2024).

• Specializes in M&A, Banking Law, Capital Markets Law, and Telecommunications/Technology
• Advises governments in Eastern Europe and Germany on business law reform
• Authored/co-edited Grundlagen des M&A Geschäfts (3rd ed., Springer) and Grundlagen des NPL-Geschäftes (4th ed., 2024)

His research focuses on legal frameworks for M&A transactions, ESG integration in corporate law, EU financial regulation, and NPL market trends. His work bridges academic analysis with practical implementation, particularly in post-financial crisis reforms and cross-border transactions.

Recent publications analyze FinTech regulation, EU capital market union, and geopolitical impacts on M&A. He has also contributed to debates on environmental protection vs. competition in EU energy markets and telecommunications governance.

Scientific awards include:

• Leonardo M&A Award (2008, 2014)
• M&A Science Award (2010)
• DKS Award (multiple times)
• JUVE Award for Law Firm of the Year for SMEs (2007)
• European Award 'Law Firm of the Year Germany' (2018)

He supervises thesis research and teaches courses on Distressed M&A, Bankruptcy Law, and Corporate Transactions, with a focus on modular post-merger integration frameworks.