The renewed interest in Germany’s legal market continues apace with US firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher to launch in Frankfurt after hiring Latham & Watkins corporate partners Dirk Oberbracht and Wilhelm Reinhardt.
Cited as a leading individual in Germany’s private equity market by The Legal 500, Oberbracht served as head of Latham’s Frankfurt office where the firm houses a tier one practice for transactions. Reinhardt was a partner in the corporate department and also chaired its industrials and manufacturing industry group.
The pair will lead Gibson Dunn’s new office and continue their M&A and corporate law practices.
Earlier this year the firm enhanced its German offering with Munich corporate partner Ferdinand Fromholzer from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. His departure from the Magic Circle firm was followed by competition partner Michael Esser, who joined Latham’s Duesseldorf office in May.
Chair and managing partner Ken Doran said the duo’s experience in M&A, private equity, corporate and securities law will ‘significantly enhance our practice in Germany and complement our Munich corporate practice.’
Michael Walther, partner-in-charge of the firm’s German offices said the hires will ‘increase the depth of our corporate offering and is a perfect start for our further expansion plans in Germany. The combined strength of our Munich and Frankfurt offices will enlarge and broaden our German corporate practice, as well as expand other practice areas.’
Other firms to establish a presence in the region included Greenberg Traurig which launched in Germany last July with the hire of Olswang’s entire Berlin team while Dentons is launching in Munich with six partners from Norton Rose Fulbright.
Going the other way, Freshfields decided to shut its doors in Cologne with all 18 partners transferring to other offices.
sarah.downey@legalease.co.uk
