Addleshaw Goddard has added its first office in continental Europe to offices in UK, Asia and the GCC. The firm has announced that 10 lawyers from the Hamburg office of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner will spearhead its entry into Germany, Europe's largest economy and a key jurisdiction identified by clients.

June opening

Opening in June 2019, Addleshaw Goddard's Hamburg office will be the firm's sixth outside of the UK, providing expertise in M&A and private equity, commercial, employment, international trade and litigation advice. The office will initially comprise partners Eckart Budelmann, Michael Leue, Martin Lüderitz, Maximilian Karacz and Hubertus Schröder as well as five other lawyers. The Hamburg office will have a broad sector expertise with a particular emphasis on transport, energy/renewables, manufacturing and retail which aligns closely with Addleshaw Goddard's sector focus. Recent transactions in which the team comprehensively advised include the disposal of Terex’ Demag MobileCranes business as well as of its compact machinery business, the sale of the shares in thjnk Group to WPP and various transactions for Yantai Taihai Group.

Key ingredients

AG says its aspiration in Germany is to provide clients with a full-service capability offering a quality and depth consistent with the requirements of local as well as international businesses. John Joyce, Addleshaw Goddard managing partner, said  “Germany is one of the world's largest importers and exporters and the opening of an office there is a decisive first step in our plans for continental Europe which in due course may involve other European jurisdictions given the strong preference by many businesses for a fully integrated service.” Mr Leue said, “Today's announcement has all the key ingredients for clients in Europe, the USA and further afield who will be attracted by the advantages of working with a competent and growing European business rooted in the German market with strong links into the City of London.” Mr Leue, together with Eckart Budelmann, founded the Bryan Cave LLP offices in Germany in 2007 and served as managing partner Germany.

BCLP response

Responding to the announcement, BCLP stated that Germany is a core part of the firm, with over 45 lawyers across a range of practices and three offices in Berlin, Frankfurt and Hamburg. Roland Fabian, country managing partner for Germany, will continue to lead the offices and strategic plans in Germany. The BCLP statement highlights  their rapid growth in the last five years, and states “We are sorry that two of our corporate partners based in Hamburg, Eckart Budelmann and Michael Leue, will be leaving us to start a new office elsewhere, and we wish them well.”