Six lawyers from Osborne Clarke’s (OC) procurement team have left to establish a new law firm in Cologne, named Esch Bahner Lisch. Andersen Tax & Legal has also opened an offfice in the same German city last week.
Partners Oliver Esch and Karsten Lisch have moved with the OC procurement team and set up the new boutique. Counsel Hanna Bahner also joins the group.
The news comes as OC revealed double-digit growth in global revenues, up 12% from €219.6m to €245.1m, while UK revenue rose 7% from £112.9m to £121m, accounting for 58% of the firm’s total turnover. The rise is lower than last year’s turnover figures.
Meanwhile, Andersen Tax & Legal has launched in Cologne with a ten-lawyer team from Luther.
Corporate partners Stefan Kraus and Hermann Knott co-lead the team.
Kraus was significantly involved in setting up Andersen Legal, from which Andersen Tax was founded, in Germany and abroad. Knott has previously worked at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton.
The office is Andersen’s third location in Germany. San Fransisco-based law firm Andersen Global merged with local outfit Alegis in 2015, which will eventually be rebranded Andersen Tax & Legal.