Dr. Behnes’ practice focuses in particular on tax advice in relation to the reorganization of international corporate companies and financial institutions as well as the structuring of debt and equity instruments. He is also intended on the interaction of banking regulatory law and tax law.

Dr. Stephan Behnes is a partner and member of Baker McKenzie's German Tax Practice Group in Frankfurt. He advises corporate companies, banks and other financial institutions with regard to German and international tax law. Before joining the Firm in July 2015, he was a partner of a major international auditing and advisory firm and also worked in one of the leading international law firms in Frankfurt, Dusseldorf and Amsterdam.

Representative Legal Matters

• Advised German and international banks and corporations in the field of German and international tax law.

• Advised the worldwide reorganization of WestLB AG having several branch offices and subsidiary companies abroad.

• Advised a German multinational client with view to its investment structure in pension assets.

• Advised one of the biggest German savings bank related to the issuance of CET1 and AT1 instruments.

• Advised a US bank in relation to German withholding tax on license payments (sec. 50a EStG).

• Advised a Dutch retail bank in connection with the reorganization of the German sub group.

• Advised a UK based private equity fund dealing with German investments and the issuance of preferred equity instruments.