PLUTA Expert Dr Kaufmann achieves long-term Solution for Child, Youth and Family Support Institution in Bremen

The insolvency administrator Dr Christian Kaufmann from PLUTA Rechtsanwalts GmbH has found a new operator for the child, youth and family support institution “Synthese Kinder-, Jugend- und Familienhilfe GmbH & Co. KG”. Operations at the sites in Fröbelstraße, Lobbendorfer Straße and Buntentorsteinweg as well as the outpatient service have been taken over by the Bremen-based child and youth support institution “Bremer Kinder- und Jugendhilfe gGmbH” with effect from 1 October 2018. This means that the company has been restructured by way of an asset transfer and that Dr Kaufmann and his PLUTA team were able to preserve 33 jobs, i.e. approximately two thirds of the company’s previous staff. It has been agreed that the purchase price will not be published.

The Local Court of Bremen opened insolvency proceedings for the assets of Synthese on 1 September 2018. The court appointed the PLUTA attorney Dr Christian Kaufmann as the insolvency administrator, after he had initially been active as the provisional insolvency monitor from the end of June 2018 and as a highly capable provisional administrator from mid-July 2018 onwards.
The restructuring expert had continued the full scope of business operations after the application had been filed and ensured that the inpatient treatment of up to 22 young people and the outpatient care of 100 individuals at peak times would be maintained. Parallel to this, Dr Kaufmann started the process of finding an investor.

The PLUTA expert and his team were already advising various social institutions, such as the child and youth support centre “Akademie Lothar Kannenberg GmbH” during their debtor-in-possession proceedings. Furthermore, the restructuring expert Dr Kaufmann was also active as the insolvency administrator for Hesel Retirement Home and was able to find a long-term solution for this institution as well.

“We succeeded in finding a speedy and very good solution for Synthese. Social institutions such as Synthese do important work for the region,” said the PLUTA attorney Dr Kaufmann. The team also found solutions for those institutions that had to be closed down. The Grenzpappel site and the sites in Reeder-Bischoff-Straße and Steffensweg, all of which are in Bremen, will in future be used by the Initiative for social Rehabilitation.

Alongside Dr Kaufmann, PLUTA’s team also includes Mr André Gildehaus, Ms Miriam Rothmund and Dr Karl-Friedrich Gulbins.

“Bremer Kinder- und Jugendhilfe gGmbH” is a child and youth support institution, which resulted from the merger of three renowned Bremen-based associations: Kriz e. V., reisende werkschule scholen e. V. and AfJ e. V. Kinder- und Jugendhilfe Bremen. The new institution, with is run jointly, mainly focuses on caring for children and young people. Following the takeover, the non-profit-making company now comprises five institutions and cares for 150 people. According to Mr Andreas Börder, Ms Friederice Kley and Mr Gerd Ziegler, Managing Directors of Bremer Kinder- und Jugendhilfe, “We are delighted that we have succeeded in taking over the institutions and will do everything possible to create stable and reliable conditions for the staff and the young people in our care. We fully recognise the work previously undertaken by the staff and are confident that the professional educational work with the young people will continue as smoothly as possible.”