Kai Scholz
Kai Scholz is a dual-qualified lawyer specialising in Banking & Finance, Corporate Law, M&A, Asset Management, Energy Law, Litigation, Arbitration, and Financial Regulation. With a distinguished international career spanning major law firms, global financial institutions, and multinational energy companies, Kai brings deep technical expertise and strategic insight to complex crossborder legal matters.
Kai studied law in Baku (Azerbaijan) and at GeorgAugustUniversität Göttingen and Frankfurt am Main, before building a career at the intersection of law, finance, energy, and regulatory compliance. His experience includes working at leading global law firm Mayer Brown LLP, serving as Head of Legal/Compliance at VTB Bank (Europe), and acting as Director at Barclays. In addition, his time as an inhouse lawyer at RWE Dea AG (now Harbour Energy) provided him with significant exposure to international oil and gas projects across Egypt, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Poland, and Ukraine.
Across his career, Kai has developed deep specialist expertise in banking supervision, corporate finance, financial crime, sanctions law, compliance, AML, and international regulatory frameworks. His combined legal and operational background enables him to advise clients with clarity, commercial awareness, and a strong understanding of market, regulatory, and enforcement landscapes.
Banking & Finance Law
Advising on loans, syndicated facilities, structured finance, securities law, regulatory frameworks, and financial crime.
Banking Supervisory & Regulatory Compliance
Extensive experience with KWG licensing, passporting, BaFin requirements, MaRisk, MaComp, BAIT, AML frameworks, and capital/liquidity obligations.
Mergers & Acquisitions / Corporate Law
Advising on major acquisitions, corporate restructurings, and investments in highly regulated sectors.
Energy & Infrastructure Projects
Experience negotiating international oil & gas contracts and overseeing global exploration projects.
AML, Sanctions & Compliance Advisory
Acting as external Money Laundering Officer and Compliance Officer, and advising on sanctions, fraud, and regulatory investigations.
Litigation & International Arbitration
Representing clients in highvalue disputes, enforcement matters, and crossborder arbitration.
Business Establishment & Market Entry
Supporting the formation of subsidiaries, representative offices, and regulated entities in Germany.
Mass EU 261 Claims
Leadership & Role
As Head of Legal for Oracle Law Global (Germany, Switzerland and Holland), Kai:
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Leads the firm’s legal team and oversees regional service delivery
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Advises senior management on regulatory, compliance, and finance matters
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Supervises crossborder banking and financial regulatory projects
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Acts as a trusted adviser to financial institutions, governments, and corporates
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Serves as interim external AML Officer and Compliance Officer for clients
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Supports international market entry and licensing processes across Europe
His leadership is characterised by strong regulatory command, international perspective, and commercially grounded advisory.
Representative Achievements
Banking & Sovereign Finance
- Advised a West African sovereign on a USD 120 million bilateral financing.
- Advised the Ministry of Finance of an African state on a EUR 120 million loan facility.
- Advised a Gulf state entity on a USD 200 million syndicated loan transaction.
Corporate & Sector Financing
- Advised a Northern European food group on a EUR 120 million syndicated financing (Latvia).
- Advised a Luxembourg-based food ingredients group on an EUR 80 million syndicated facility.
- Advised a German manufacturer on a EUR 120 million syndicated financing.
- Advised a German automotive supplier on a EUR 60 million financing.
- Advised an Italian steel group on a USD 90 million bilateral facility.
- Advised a Romanian retail group on a EUR 110 million syndicated financing.
Energy & Aviation
- Advised a major Turkish energy group on a syndicated financing backed by a corporate guarantee structure.
- Advised a telecommunications operator in Azerbaijan on a USD 100 million syndicated facility.
- Advised a Chinese aircraft leasing company on a complex crossborder B777 aircraft leasing and aviation finance transaction, including security, structuring, and Cape Town Convention considerations.
Private Equity, Banking M&A & NPL Transactions
- Advised an international private equity sponsor on acquiring a German banking institution.
- Advised on the acquisition of German NPL portfolios valued at approx. USD 3 billion.
- Advised a Dutch financial institution on acquiring a German industrial group (featured in JUVE).
- Advised European banks on multiple leveraged acquisition finance matters (EUR 50–150 million range).
- Advised a German bank on real estate finance transactions between EUR 20–60 million.
- Advised a global financial institution on a USD 600 million senior secured financing for a German borrower.
- Advised a Kazakh precious metals producer on financing arrangements.
Approach
Kai’s advisory style is defined by:
- Deep technical command of financial regulatory law
- Strong commercial awareness from senior inhouse leadership roles
- Practical solutions tailored to risk appetite, operational constraints & supervisory expectations
- Clear, structured communication for management and boards
- Strong negotiation strategies grounded in regulatory reality
His clients rely on his ability to combine regulatory precision with commercially workable outcomes—often in complex, fastmoving or politically sensitive contexts.
Credentials
- Head of Legal (Germany, Switzerland and Holland), Oracle Law Global
- Dualqualified lawyer
- Former Head of Legal/Compliance at VTB Bank (Europe)
- Former Director at Barclays
- Former InHouse Counsel at RWE Dea AG (Harbour Energy)
- Former AML Officer, Compliance Officer, MaRisk Officer & Data Protection Officer
- Extensive experience in banking regulation, AML, sanctions, corporate finance, energy law & crossborder litigation
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Kai speaks German, English, Russian, Azeri and Turkish
Partner | Head of Legal and Operations Germany, Switzerland and Holland
- Barckhausstraße 1 60325 Frankfurt Germany
- (+49) 69 967 58 891
- scholz.k@oracle-ra.de
Areas of Expertise
- Banking & Finance
- Banking Supervisory Law (BaFin)
- Securities & Corporate Finance
- M&A
- Compliance
- AML & Sanctions
- Energy Law
- Oil & Gas
- International
Education & Memberships
- Law & Management at the University in Baku
- Law at the Georg-August-Universität in Göttingen
- Rechtsanwalt/Attorney at law in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- German Bar Association (DAV)
- Certified Compliance Officer