Our Case Studies

AWO Bezirksverband Ostwestfalen-Lippe e.V. is one of Germany’s largest social organisations and an independent, regional umbrella welfare association. The Workers’ Welfare Association (AWO) in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe region (OWL) supports people in all kinds of life situations. Its wide range of offerings includes 120 children’s day care centres, assistance for young people and families, and residential and nursing care provisions for the elderly. Its professional services are made possible thanks to the strong commitment of volunteers. It employs over 4,000 people. AWO OWL entered into self-administration proceedings in order to adapt its structures and reshape the association’s future. PLUTA restructuring expert Mr Stefan Meyer was appointed insolvency monitor. He oversaw the proceedings and represented the interests of the creditors.

AWO OWL initially prepared a comprehensive restructuring concept, which served as the basis for a detailed recovery plan. The foundations needed to reposition the district association were laid through structural changes. The PLUTA team supported the proceedings throughout. Just nine months after the association had filed for insolvency, the creditors approved the recovery plan. This ensured that a large part of AWO OWL’s facilities, offerings and services could be maintained.

After ten months of the process, AWO OWL was able to successfully conclude the court-supervised restructuring proceedings. The recovery plan was approved by 99.9% of creditors at the discussion and voting meeting. More than 4,000 jobs were saved and almost 200 facilities, offerings and services have also been preserved. The outcome puts AWO OWL in a financially solid position and means it will be stronger going forward.

The debtor-in-possession proceedings for the Osterhofen Specialist Clinic in the South of Germany with a workforce of almost 100 employees have been successfully completed. Mr. Stephan Ammann from PLUTA Rechtsanwalts GmbH acted as the insolvency monitor in these proceedings. Mr. Ammann and Mr. Ivo-Meinert Willrodt supported the successful restructuring and monitored the proceedings so as to prevent any disadvantages for the creditors. The clinic took advantage of this opportunity and, despite the crisis, even managed to set up a new department through targeted investment. A visible proof of success: the number of beds authorised by the Bavarian hospital plan and also the number of employees increased during the proceedings.

We acted for the parent company in this solvent liquidation of its subsidiary companies.

Our principal role was to reorganise and simplify this group’s corporate structure.

Specifically we had to deal with tax clearance and issues associated with the distribution of assets in excess of $600M to shareholders in the group.

The case was further complicated by managing trade mark issues including assignments in numerous countries.

This was highly successful and all distributions were effected.