Taylor Wessing has hired Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom M&A partner Walter Henle to fill the role of German private equity head. The hire comes as separately, former Skadden Arps partner Peter Veranneman joins Bird & Bird’s Frankfurt and Dusseldorf offices from German bond company DGVA(Deutsche Gesellschaft zur Vertretung von Anleihegläubigern), where he was managing director in Cologne.
Henle will be based in Munich but work alongside M&A partners Michael Stein and Christian Kleeberg in Frankfurt. He is known for his work in the leveraged buyout space and previously represented Apax Partners in the €920m sale of its majority stake in IFCO Systems, and Allianz Capital Partners GmbH on the Fairchild Dornier investment.
Veranneman, meanwhile, focuses on capital markets and corporate law as well as public and private M&A. His experience includes advising UCB on its combined cash/equity takeover offer for Schwarz Pharma, and representing Continental on the sale of its electric motor business to Brose.
Both Veranneman and Henle joined Skadden Arps’ Munich office from Baker & McKenzie in 2004 when the firm first launched in the region. Veranneman left Skadden Arps in 2010.
Bird & Bird German managing partner and international corporate group head Alexander Schröder- Frerkes said: ‘We are delighted to welcome Peter to our team. His excellent reputation and extensive experience in advising public-listed companies on a variety of large transactions make him an excellent addition to our practice.’
jaishree.kalia@legalease.co.uk