Global law firm Reed Smith has today announced a significant investment in its European platform with the opening of an office in Frankfurt. The opening is in response to growing client demand in the German market and builds on the success of the firm’s Munich office, which celebrates its 10-year anniversary this year.
Officially opening 1 June, the office will be led by current Munich managing partner Dr Stefan Kugler. It will launch with the arrival of seven partners providing market-leading experience in finance, corporate, regulatory, private equity and real estate. The firm anticipates further growth in the near future.
“Frankfurt has been a city of significant interest to us for some time”, commented Dr Kugler. “Having built strong foundations in Munich, our goal is to add to our existing bench strength and also broaden our full- service offering to support the growing needs of our clients with interests in the German market.”
New members of the Reed Smith German team
In the areas of finance and real estate, the firm will be joined by Dirk-Peter Flor and Dr Simon Gottlieb Grieser (both previously at Mayer Brown) and Prof. Dr Martin Meißner (previously at Orrick).
Dr Andreas Jürgens and Dr Volker Kammel both join from Jones Day. Dr Jürgens advises on corporate acquisitions and divestitures, restructurings and corporate finance. Dr Kammel’s practice focuses on restructuring, insolvency, distressed M&A and rescue financing.
Joining the firm from Willkie Farr & Gallagher will be Rolf Hünermann and Dr Octávio de Sousa. Hünermann counsels on a variety of compliance issues and corporate transactions. He was formerly head of the German compliance and enforcement group. Dr de Sousa represents clients on national and international M&A, private equity and finance transactions.
“The vast majority of our top clients in the finance sector have operations in Germany and our relationships with them continue to expand,” said Alexander Thomas, Reed Smith’s global managing partner. “This new presence in Frankfurt is testament to our continued investment in both the finance sector and our transactional practice globally.”
Reed Smith’s growth
“Our great strength in the financial industry and the fact that so many of our clients are based in or significantly present in Frankfurt - a global financial centre - makes this move a natural fit,” said Tamara Box, the firm’s Financial Industry Group chair. “Adding the skills of these talented lawyers to our already deep offering in Munich gives us even greater ability to serve our growing client base in this important market.”
Reed Smith has continued to invest heavily in the expansion of its global platform. In the past three years, the firm has appointed 60 partners (across its transactional, disputes and regulatory practices). 26 of these focus on the financial services sector and reside in London, Paris and Munich, where the team collaborates to provide clients with transactional, disputes and regulatory advice in finance, corporate, private equity and real estate across Europe.
This growth is indicative of the evolving needs of the firm’s clients, who increasingly require support in response to fast changing market conditions, including: navigating global regulatory and compliance issues, restructuring investments and seeking alternative funds for investment capital.
“Our global platform has transformed in recent years and our continued growth in key sectors and markets remains a priority for us,” said Edward Estrada, the firm’s global head of strategy. “Now, with a base in Germany’s financial centre, we’re in an even stronger position to further grow our German business and expand existing synergies with our colleagues and clients across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the United States.”
ENDS
Note to Editors:
About Dirk-Peter Flor
Flor advises national and international clients on real estate finance, non-performing loans and credit portfolio transactions, as well as domestic and cross-border acquisition finance and banking regulation.
He joined Ashurst in 1999 as an associate and moved to Mayer Brown in 2006, where he was made partner in 2007.
About Dr Simon Gottlieb Grieser
Dr Grieser has a broad banking practice with a particular focus on non-performing loan and performing loan transactions, on which he advises sellers, investors and financiers. He also advises banks and financial institutions on regulation and banking supervisory law matters, securitisation and restructuring.
He began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers Veltins in 2001 before joining Mayer Brown as an associate in 2002, where he was made partner in 2009.
About Rolf Hünermann
Hünermann advises on a wide range of corporate, compliance, regulatory issues, corporate governance and M&A. He has substantial experience regarding compliance with European and U.S. anti-bribery legislation, and in cross border projects, including negotiating with foreign public authorities. He started his career as an associate with Clifford Chance/Pünder and joins the firm from Willkie Farr & Gallagher.
About Dr Andreas Jürgens
Dr Jürgens advises on corporate acquisitions and divestitures, restructurings and corporate finance, with a focus on cross-border and multinational transactions. His clients include national and international companies and financial investors. He joined Clifford Chance in 1994 and was made partner in 1999. He moved to Jones Day in 2005.
About Dr Volker Kammel
Dr Kammel’s practice focuses on restructuring, insolvency, distressed M&A and rescue financing. He acts for investors, companies in financial difficulties, lenders and other creditors. He joined Pünder in 1994, before that firm's merger with Clifford Chance, and was made partner in 1999. He moved to Jones Day in 2003.
About Prof. Dr Martin Meißner
Prof. Dr Martin Meißner represents national and international clients on real estate transactions, including especially acquisition and sale of property portfolios or single assets, project development, fund formation and finance. Prior to Reed Smith, he was partner at both Orrick and Latham & Watkins.
About Dr Octávio de Sousa
Dr de Sousa’s practice focuses on national and international M&A and private equity transactions, as well as general corporate law advice. Prior to joining Reed Smith, he worked for Willkie Farr & Gallagher as well as White & Case, where he started his legal career.
About Reed Smith’s Munich office
Since its launch in 2005, Reed Smith’s Munich team has grown to almost 40 lawyers (including 13 partners). The team provides a full-service offering, in particular, transactional and disputes advice across sectors including: financial services, advertising, technology and media, private equity, retail, real estate, life sciences, and energy and natural resources.
About Reed Smith
Reed Smith is a global law firm with more than 1,800 lawyers and 25 offices across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the United States.
For further information, please visit www.reedsmith.com or contact Jeyda Star (senior PR & communications manager EME), on +44 (0)20 3116 2571.