Challenge

The Bill Gates backed alternative fuel startup Infinium from California hired Alber & Geiger to shape the EU Renewable Energy Directive and respective EU legislation on road transport, maritime and aviation. The primary aim of our advocacy was to ensure that the entire regulatory and legal framework in the EU provides the necessary financial, market and regulatory support to enable concrete investments in hydrogen based e-fuels factories and the eventual roll out of e-fuels in the coming years in the EU.

Strategy

The lobbying focus was on the greenhouse gas savings provided by hydrogen e-fuels when used as a drop in alternative to standard fuels, and the latter’s contribution to meet the Green Deal goals. Similarly, our team engaged with lawmakers and EU officials to corral backing for specific e-fuels targets in maritime transport and high quotas for e-fuels in aviation. We put the spotlight on the important contribution of e-fuels in sectors that are hard to decarbonize, shaping the criteria to determine renewable hydrogen in the EU.

Results

We were able to garner support for higher e-fuels quotas and shepherd the uptake of e-fuels in key modes of transportation. Alber & Geiger’s effort led to a plenary vote in the European Parliament that supported higher targets for e-fuels. In a politically arena with various alternative fuels competing for incentives, our team was able to obtain clear and strong support for e-fuels, turning Europe into one of the most attractive and important markets for that.

Challenge

The European Central Bank’s (ECB) single supervisory mechanism decided to carry out its first audit of Greece’s four systemic banks since it was set up. Greece’s leading bank turned to Alber & Geiger for help amid shareholder complaints over irregularities during the last round of capital raising. Assistance was required to ensure a standard and short regulatory scrutiny that would have not weakened further the image and investor confidence in the bank and its management.

Strategy

Alber & Geiger approached directly the European banking regulators and pressed the European Commission and its respective Directorates to announce their clearance of alleged irregularities. We emphasized the importance of investigations being short to not harm the image of the bank and its management.

We then sought to restructure the confidence on the Greek and European financial sector vis-à-vis the EU and German lawmakers and administrators. Our message put on the spotlight the bureaucratic approach and lengthy investigation on the bank itself, highlighting the lurking threat of economic and social instability of requiring more EU taxpayers’ money to the rescue.

Results

Six months into the mandate, the media campaign against our client and repeated calls against its management came to a halt. We helped facilitate the exchange of views between our client and the European banking regulators at the highest political level. By doing so, we helped prevent another wave of economic instability in Greece’s largest systemic bank.

Challenge

Global Hospitality Investments (GHI) was a large US real estate private equity investor. It acquired two properties with a loan from the former Hypo Real Estate Group (HRE). Following, the HRE’s portfolio was transferred to FMS Wertmanagement (FMS), the Federal government’s winding up institution for the HRE.

GHI offered to buy back the loan from FMS to save the property investments and proceed with the development plans. FMS was not willing to deal with GHI, which made any solution almost impossible. GHI sought Alber & Geiger’s help with the ensuing impasse to find a deal.

Strategy

We crafted a clear and concise message for the German government and the Bundestag that highlighted the bureaucratic approach of FMS regarding the offer put forward by GHI. The behaviour of FMS did not respect good governance principles and ignored the purpose upon which it was created, namely to “unwind the portfolio whenever it is financially advantageous and thus to achieve the best possible outcome in the interest of the German taxpayer.” The strategy demonstrated to the German Finance Ministry and the Bundestag that the circumstances demanded an equitable treatment of GHI. It drew on an understanding of the financial the political mindset in Germany that was used to strengthen the GHI proposal.

Results

Alber & Geiger helped GHI prepare the offer and guided the it through the entire process while ensuring the political backing of the German Finance Ministry and the Bundestag for a deal with FMS Wertmanagement. The transaction was finally successfully completed.