Kai-Alexander Bischoff

Kai-Alexander Advises

Companies, corporate groups and private individuals, primarily in the aviation, automotive, rail and truck sectors, especially including:

• airlines, maintenance and repair organisations (MROs), development companies, corporations and corporate groups as operators of business aircraft;
• truck manufacturers and their suppliers;
• rail vehicle manufacturers and their suppliers.

Experience Highlights

Aviation

• Nearly 100 international aircraft transactions, particularly in the EU, the UK, the US, Canada and Brazil.
• Litigation representation in a civil case concerning aircraft leasing.
• Litigation representation of a Swiss accident insurance company in recourse proceedings relating to an aviation accident in Russia.
• Establishment of an aviation company in Germany.
• Provision of aviation law support to a major law firm in arbitration proceedings concerning allegedly defective development services provided by a development company.
• Legal and other advice to a helicopter operator on obtaining an Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC).
• Representation of the interests of the owner of two business aircraft vis-à-vis operators and authorities for more than 10 years.
• Purchase and sale of yachts, including warranty management.
• Tendering and awarding contracts for the operation of business aircraft.
• Handling of aircraft accidents involving significant damage on behalf of insurers and operators.
• Implementation of a tax optimisation strategy for a company’s air traffic.

M&A / Joint Ventures

• Acquisition of a Swiss helicopter operator (CH).
• Establishment of a joint venture for the manufacture of car seats (D).
• Development of various collaborative projects with small and large companies, most recently in the field of door systems for autonomous driving (D) and 3D printing.
• Investment in a start-up in the field of industrial 3D printing (D).
• Sale of a product line (D).
• Establishment of a joint venture between leading automotive suppliers (D).
• Legal support for several market entries in the field of maintenance, repair and overhaul of rail vehicles (UK, SWE, CH).
• Expansion of the group’s internal door business through the acquisition of a competitor (D).
• Acquisition of a company specialising in electronic applications for rail vehicles (USA/CAN).
• Sale of a group company (AUT/D).
• Acquisition of a listed company through a public takeover bid (D).

Real Estate

• Negotiating and concluding contracts with project developers (HUN).
• Intervening in the event of cost overruns during the construction of a new plant/development centre in the commercial vehicle sector (HUN).
• Member of the project management team for the construction of a new plant/development centre for rail vehicle doors (AUT).

Claims Management / Litigation

• Enforcing claims in M&A disputes.
• Managing a ten-year-long evidence preservation procedure involving three major players in the rail vehicle sector.
• Regularly defending against or enforcing claims against customers and suppliers as part of the corporate claims management, with a success rate of 65%.

Crisis Management

• Establishment of and active involvement in a consortium to rescue a systemically important, insolvent supplier.
• Key point of contact for authorities (e.g. customs) and ad hoc representative for affected group companies during searches carried out in connection with criminal investigations.

Career History

Previous experience

• Since June 2025: Managing Partner at ARAT Rechtsanwaltspartnerschaft mbB, a law firm specialising in aviation, rail, automotive and trucking (mobility-law.de).
• 04/2021 – 06/2025: Managing Partner, DBT Rechtsanwaltspartnerschaft mbB (air-law.de), one of Germany’s leading aviation law firms.
• 04/2017 – 03/2021: Deputy General Counsel and responsible in-house lawyer for the Doors and Purchasing divisions of the Brose Group at Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft, Coburg.
• 02/2011 – 03/2017: Senior Managing Counsel (Legal), Head of the Contract and SfS Claim Management service line, and Head of Claim Management in the Group Legal Department at Knorr-Bremse AG, Munich.
• 03/2008 – 04/2010: General Counsel and Head of Legal and Insurance, responsible for establishing and managing the corporate legal department at Knorr-Bremse GmbH, Mödling, Austria, with responsibility for the CEE countries.
• 11/2005 – 02/2008: Counsel Corporate Legal, Group Legal Department, Knorr-Bremse AG.
• 01/2004 – 11/2005: Lawyer, Dr. Pollzien & Partner, Munich; Huber-Wilhelm & Kollegen, Freising; Dr. Brenninger & Bischoff, Regensburg/Munich.

Education / Training

• 2009/2010: Specialist lawyer training course in commercial and company law.
• 10/2002 – 10/2003: Master’s degree in ‘European and International Law’ (LL.M. Eur.), University of Bremen.
• 06/2001 – 09/2001: Trainee, Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Frankfurt am Main, Corporate Policy, Change Management and Diversity departments.
• 06/2001 – 09/2001: Legal trainee, German-Danish Chamber of Commerce, Copenhagen.
• 09/1997 – 05/2003: Military service and officer training, German Armed Forces (Navy and Army; Lieutenant).

Memberships

• German Business Aviation Association (GBAA)
• Working Group of In-House Lawyers of the German Bar Association
• German Bar Association

Kai-Alexander is a partner in gunnercooke GmbH, whose registered office is Kurfuerstendamm 15, 10719 Berlin, AG Charlottenburg, HRB 224488 B. All lawyers of gunnercooke GmbH are admitted either in Germany or Austria to practise as Rechtsanwalt or Rechtsanwaeltin and are members of and regulated by the relevant local Bar (Rechtsanwaltskammer).