UK and US firms have been busy investing in Europe this week, with Baker & McKenzie, Mayer Brown and Bird & Bird all adding to offices in Berlin, Frankfurt and Brussels.
Baker & McKenzie has added two partners in Germany to expand its energy and M&A practices. Both Thomas Dörmer and Tim Heitling are to join from Taylor Wessing (TW) at the beginning of next month. The pair join with two more TW lawyers, Claire Polte and Daniel Neudecker. Both partners recently advised energy company Enovos International and Swiss Life Asset Managers in the bidding war for Thyssengas as well as engineering firm Schuler AG on the acquisition of metals company AWEBA Group.
Meanwhile, Mayer Brown has hired Hunton & Williams partner Geneviève Michaux for its Brussels office. Michaux is a Belgian and French qualified lawyer whose practice focuses on regulatory matters concerning drugs, biologics, medical devices, cosmetics and food across Europe. Mayer Brown government and trade co-leader Duane Layton said Michaux’s skills complement and replicate Mayer Brown’s life sciences practice in the US.
Bird & Bird has also looked to build its practice in Europe, with the addition of Niels Lutzhöft from Gleiss Lutz to join the tech firm’s global commercial practice group. Lutzhöft, who joins Bird & Bird’s Frankfurt office, specialises in commercial regulatory, competition and copyright law.
The firm’s German head Sven-Erik Heun said Lutzhöft was a great fit for the firm’s focus on cross-practice advice. He added: ‘He is very active in the areas of commercial, regulatory and IP law, which provides an excellent basis for advising companies being transformed by technology and the knowledge economy, or facing digital transformation.’
victoria.young@legalease.co.uk