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28 Mar 2026

DB Cargo selects Seitz as labor counsel as it enters new restructuring phase

"DB Cargo has entered a new phase of its restructuring under newly appointed CEO Bernhard Osburg after the board removed former CEO Sigrid Nikutta. Independent consultant Oliver Wyman has endorsed a rescue plan developed with Osburg, which must be finalized after another review by end-February 2026. The rail freight unit — loss-making since 2015 and facing an EU demand to be profitable by 2026 (or risk break-up) — forecasts a €96m loss for 2025; cuts of around 5,000 jobs by 2028 remain possible but unconfirmed. In-house HR director Fuchs is coordinating the internal side of the turnaround, and DB Cargo has chosen the law firm Seitz as its external restructuring advisor, a firm experienced in major corporate turnarounds."

1) Firms and parties - Seitz was retained to advise DB Cargo on its ongoing restructuring. No other external law firms were named in the press release (the independent reviewer was the consultancy Oliver Wyman; DB Cargo’s in‑house labour director Fuchs is handling the company side). 2) Brief description of the transaction - DB Cargo is pursuing a major turnaround after years of losses and under pressure from the EU Commission to become profitable by 2026. Under new CEO Bernhard Osburg, an independent reviewer (Oliver Wyman) has judged the restructuring concept fundamentally viable; the concept is to be finalised after further review by February 2026. Seitz was appointed as the external legal adviser to accompany the next phase of the restructuring, which may still include previously announced headcount reductions (around 5,000 jobs through 2028), though details and the exact composition of the Seitz team have not been disclosed. 3) Lawyers named (seniority / practice area, if given) - Seitz: referred to only as “name partner Seitz” in the press release — seniority: name partner; practice area implied: restructuring/insolvency and labour/HR advisory for large reorganisations. The press release does not disclose any further individual lawyers from Seitz or their specific roles. - In‑house: Labour Director Fuchs — in‑company labour/HR lead (since March 2023; formerly head of HR Business Partner Rail Logistics).
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