Nordic General Counsel of the Year Award 2025

Carsted Rosenberg awards Wirnt Galster the Carsted Rosenberg General Counsel of the Year for Nordics 2025 Award

COPENHAGEN, 5 December 2025 – Carsted Rosenberg, a specialist law firm for cross-border banking & finance law with a focus on the Danish-German cross-border finance market, is proud to announce Wirnt Galster, Partner at HR-Expertgroup and former senior legal executive as General Counsel and Corporate Governance Officer of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, as the recipient of the Carsted Rosenberg Nordic General Counsel of the Year award for 2025.

The Carsted Rosenberg General Counsel of the Year for Nordics award recognises legal leadership and contributions to the cross-border business and transactional law. This year, the firm takes the exceptional step of recognising a lifetime of achievement. The award honours Mr Galster’s long-standing leadership as General Counsel and Corporate Governance Officer at Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG from 2000 to 2014, specifically for his leadership during one of the most complex corporate financing turnarounds in German industry.

Mr Galster is recognised for his role in guiding Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG through the aftermath of the global financial crisis. While the company’s legal department had been spun off into the independent law firm adjuga in 2005, Mr Galster served as Corporate Governance Officer during the crisis years. In this capacity, he retained responsibility for the financing portfolio and monitored the company's legal affairs. Between 2009 and 2014, he managed the legal aspects of a multi-stage financing that transitioned the company from state-backed crisis management to independent capital markets strength.

This effort began with Heidelberger Druck securing a EUR 1.4 billion rescue facility in 2009, backed by KfW and German government guarantees, which secured the company's immediate survival. During Mr Galster’s tenure, the company successfully managed to repay German state funding ahead of schedule in 2011, based on a comprehensive capital increase, by applying a mixture of high yield bonds and syndicated credit facilities.

This complex financing undertaken by Heidelberger Druck and the banks secured the stability of a global industrial champion, thereby preserving the livelihoods of thousands of employees and their families worldwide. Mr Galster emphasises that this success was a joint effort, achieved in close cooperation with the company's finance and treasury experts, his former colleagues at adjuga, and a network of international law firms. The transaction spanned 24 jurisdictions and required global coordination to manage collateral across the group's global subsidiaries and their external legal advisers.

"It is a privilege to present Wirnt Galster with this award," said Michael Rosenberg of Carsted Rosenberg. "Working alongside Wirnt as Danish local counsel from 2009 to 2014 was a career highlight. Together with the global lead team at Clifford Chance in Frankfurt, headed by Dr Dietrich F. R. Stiller and Sebastian Maerker, Wirnt led the legal aspects of this complex financing process with remarkable skill. Wirnt’s legal leadership during those challenging years showed us the true value of the General Counsel role."

In presenting this year's award, Carsted Rosenberg also recognises the first recipient of the award, Timo Matthias Spitzer, Head of Legal for DACH & Nordics at Santander Bank, who received the inaugural award in 2024. As the first holder of this title, Timo set a strong benchmark. Timo remains an ambassador for the Nordic legal community, as our inaugural alumnus.

"I am honoured to receive this recognition," said Wirnt Galster. "The financing and restructuring between 2009 and 2014 was a demanding period that required precise coordination between our internal finance and treasury teams, our legal colleagues at adjuga, our global lead counsel Clifford Chance, and our local partners like Carsted Rosenberg. I am proud that our joint legal strategy contributed to securing the future of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen and its workforce. It is gratifying to see those efforts remembered and recognised today."

Since leaving his post at Heidelberger, Mr Galster has successfully transitioned his expertise into executive search and consulting as a Partner at HR-Expertgroup. There he applies his expertise and understanding of corporate governance and compliance to identify future leaders for the industrial and technology sectors. He advises clients on recruiting in-house legal advisers, compliance experts and HR managers, drawing on his own operational experience. He also consults on the design and implementation of compliance management systems. In addition, he has authored contributions to “Der Compliance Officer” published by C.H. Beck-Verlag and hosts the podcast CoCoGo (Compliance and Corporate Governance).

The Nordic General Counsel of the Year award was established by Carsted Rosenberg to highlight the role of general counsel in driving business success and shaping the legal landscape in the Nordic region. The award recognises individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, strategic vision, and a commitment to transactional excellence.

Carsted Rosenberg congratulates Wirnt Galster on this outstanding achievement.

About Carsted Rosenberg:

Carsted Rosenberg is a specialist law firm providing expert legal advice in cross-border banking & finance law, with a particular focus on the Danish cross-border finance market. Committed to delivering exceptional service, Carsted Rosenberg builds long-term partnerships with its clients.

Media Contact:

Dr. Parwis Tikrani, Partner pt@carstedrosenberg.com +41 (0)79 701 8362 www.carstedrosenberg.com