During the period from 18 February to 15 March 2019, students of the LL.M. International Finance program attended the Legal and Management Training Program held at the ILF. The course commenced with a field trip to Düsseldorf and Essen, followed by the students taking part in the Advanced Legal and Business English Course and the Intercultural Communication Course. In addition, they participated in a number of company visits to Banco Santander, Noerr LLP, Allianz Global Investors and the Money Museum of the German Central Bank. They also attended a guest lecture at the ILF held by a representative from the Deutsche Börse.
Visit to Banco Santander on 1 March 2019
The first company visit for the LL.M. International Finance students was to Banco Santander, where our group was welcomed by Mr. Timo Spitzer (Head of Legal CIB Germany, Austria and Switzerland). Mr. Spitzer gave an insightful presentation regarding his areas of work at Banco Santander and the expertise he gained from his previous career path where he mainly dealt with acquisitions, projects and export financings as well as corporate lending transactions. This was followed by a discussion with Dr. Eugenio Cavenaghi (Head of Trade, Export & Supply Chain Finance) on the more technical aspects of Santander in the global financial market with international transactions originating from the German market.
Visit to Noerr LLP on 7 March 2019
The second visit of the program saw the students attend a morning with Noerr LLP, one of the most prestigious law firms in Germany which also has its China Desk within the Frankfurt office. The students were received by Dr. Till Kosche (Partner) who delivered an overview of Noerr in the German market. This was followed by Dr. Yifan Zhu (Senior Associate) who held an illustrative presentation on the topic of “How to do a Share Deal in Germany”, providing students with practical knowledge of the timeframe, various parties and legal work could be involved in a share deal project. After the presentations, our students could participate in an in-depth discussion with the lawyers.
Lecture from Deutsche Börse (German Stock Exchange) on 7 March 2019
The guest lecture for the LL.M. International students was by Mr. Max Ebner (Community Centre Frankfurt Cash Market, Pre-IPO & Growth Financing) on “An Overview of the History, Organisation and the Function of Frankfurt Stock Exchange and German Stock Exchange AG”. This detailed presentation gave insight into the history of the Deutsche Börse Group and its operations as well as current business development activities. The ideas of increasing transparency and offering tailor made solutions to provide capital for companies of all sizes and industries within an EU regulated market and an Exchange regulated market were debated and discussed in detail.
Visit to Allianz Global Investors on 14 March 2019
The students had the opportunity to visit Allianz Global Investors to learn about the company and their highly competitive Global Graduate Program which an ILF alumna is currently undertaking. Dr. Oliver Heiland (European Head of Alternative Investments Legal) welcomed the group while Mr. Jorge Velasco (Office of the General Counsel) gave a detailed introduction into the world of asset management. Two current employees currently participating in the Global Graduate Program provided an overview on the three business areas one can explore when doing the program at Allianz, the sector rotations and international secondment on offer. The students also heard from Ms. Sylwia Gutman (Senior Counsel Alternative Investments Legal) who recently joined Allianz after having previously worked at a law firm. Together with Dr. Heiland, she gave a presentation on alternative investments and spoke about the significance of “diversification” which in the application to infrastructure is complex on a global scale.
Visit to the Money Museum of the German Central Bank on 15 March 2019
The final visit of the program was to the Money Museum of the German Central Bank. The final presentation was delivered by Ms. Sarah Bartlick (International Central Bank Dialogue) on the core business areas of the Bundesbank and it’s relation to the European Central Bank. A unique aspect of Frankfurt is being the only city in the world that has two central banks, highlighting the importance of this financial center. The students were able to participate in a discussion regarding specific case studies of the Eurozone and how all 19 member states cooperate within this system. The students toured the Money Museum which provided a historical overview to money and transactions globally.
