Gleiss Lutz has announced the opening of an office in London on 1 January 2022, with former senior partner Dr. Wolfgang Bosch as resident partner.
Also with effect from 1 January 2022, Gleiss Lutz is promoting Frankfurt tax specialist Dr. Ocka Stumm to partner and appointing eight new counsel: Dr. Hannah Bug (IP/IT), Anna Karpf (Commercial/Dispute Resolution), Dr. Micha Christopher Pfarr (M&A, all Berlin), Dr. Jan Alexander Lange, Dr. Katja Lehr (both Finance, Frankfurt), Dr. Oliver Jürgen Junge (Public/Healthcare), Dr. Markus Martin (M&A, Stuttgart) and Dr. Florian Wagner (Dispute Resolution, Frankfurt).
Co-managing partners Prof. Dr. Michael Arnold and Dr. Alexander Schwarz and senior partner Dr. Christian Cascante were also re-elected for a further two years.
London 2022
Gleiss Lutz has announced that it will be opening an office in London on 1 January 2022.
Despite Brexit, London is one of the world's leading business and financial centres and is an important forum for international (antitrust) litigation. Opening an office of its own in London is therefore the next logical step for Gleiss Lutz in taking the firm's strategy forward. The firm's close ties with European Network partners (Chiomenti (Italy), Cuatrecasas (Spain) and Gide (France)) will strengthen the London office's global reach.
“Having our own office in London is an advantage that will enable us to penetrate the market more consistently and systematically and position ourselves better for mandates that are handled out of London," explains Prof. Michael Arnold, co-managing partner at Gleiss Lutz. This applies in particular to complex international finance, M&A and private equity transactions, distressed M&A and restructuring situations as well as antitrust issues, especially damages proceedings. It is also expected that the need for advice from UK companies on EU law will continue to increase post-Brexit.
“The new office will therefore be a key factor in the continued development of our corporate strategy, with its focus on complex advisory instructions, proceedings and transactions, frequently cross-border with a strong international component" adds co-managing partner Dr. Alexander Schwarz. “Alongside our M&A and Finance practice, being on the ground in London also offers a big opportunity for our Competition/Antitrust and Restructuring teams when it comes to competing for international instructions."
The resident partner in London will be former Gleiss Lutz senior partner Dr. Wolfgang Bosch. A core team of partners from Transactions, Restructuring and Competition/Antitrust will regularly work out of London, backed up by associates and trainee lawyers.
A new partner and five counsel for Transactions
Promotion to partnership for Dr. Ocka Stumm marks a step in the firm's expansion of its Frankfurt tax and transactions team. Ocka Stumm has many years of experience in providing tax advice on domestic and cross-border M&A transactions. In addition, she strengthens Gleiss Lutz's compliance practice with her expertise in criminal tax law.
The two M&A experts Dr. Micha Christopher Pfarr and Dr. Markus Martin have been promoted to counsel. Micha Christopher Pfarr advises on M&A transactions, private equity and venture capital investments as well as corporate law. Markus Martin advises on national and cross-border M&A transactions and on issues around corporate and capital market law and has special expertise when it comes to public takeovers. Two members of the Frankfurt finance team, Dr. Jan-Alexander Lange and Dr. Katja Lehr have been promoted to counsel. Jan-Alexander Lange advises companies, private equity firms and financial service providers on banking and finance law, in particular on leveraged buyouts, unitranche financings (with senior/super-senior structures), corporate loans and restructurings. Katja Lehr advises on German and international financing transactions, in particular acquisition and takeover financing, syndicated, unitranche and subordinated financing, general corporate loans as well as bonded loans and restructurings. Dr. Hannah Bug, new counsel in the Berlin IP/IT team, advises on information technology law (including e-commerce), copyright law and all areas of intellectual property law, in particular unfair competition, trademarks and designs. Another focus of her work is telecommunications and media, including the design of digital platforms.
Three new counsel for Regulatory & Litigation
At Regulatory & Litigation the ranks are being strengthened by Anna Karpf and Dr. Florian Wagner, both Dispute Resolution, and Dr. Oliver Jürgen Junge from Public Law. Anna Karpf specialises in conducting proceedings in state courts. Other focuses of her practice are product liability and commercial, in particular advising on complex civil contractual arrangements. Florian Wagner works in Litigation and Arbitration, with a focus on advising and representing clients in disputes with a financial markets and M&A transactions dimension. He also has special experience in handling complex mass damages cases. Oliver Jürgen Junge advises primarily on healthcare and public procurement, especially for statutory health insurance funds and hospital operators.
Management team re-elected for another two years
Leadership duo Prof. Michael Arnold and Dr. Alexander Schwarz were re-elected by Gleiss Lutz's partners' meeting to continue at the helm for another two years. Partnership council chair Dr. Christian Cascante will also remain in office for a further two years.
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