Boesebecks partners quit over Lovells merger talks

German law firm Boesebeck Droste is losing partners as it continues todiscuss a merger

with Lovell White Durrant, as revealed in The Lawyer (5July).Dr Manuel Lorenz, a partner

in Boesebeck Droste's banking and financegroup, has quit the partnership and is

understood to be heading for Baker &McKenzie.He follows hot on the heals of Dr Claudia

Seibel, who joined Baker &McKenzie as an international partner on 1 July. She is now a

partner in the11-lawyer property department of Baker & McKenzie's Frankfurt

office.Seibel, who has brought blue chip and banking clients with her, says: "Themain

reason is certainly the strategic ideas and visions of Baker &McKenzie in Germany."But

she admits the merger discussions were a factor in her decision to move."I did not very

much appreciate the idea of being a Lovells partner," she says.Seibel practised at

Boesebeck Droste for 16 years, weathering two domesticmergers within the last 10 years.

She says law firms in Germany arebecoming increasingly international. But she adds that

linking up with a UKlaw firm presents certain structural problems."The structures of law

firms in Germany and in England have very differentways of doing business. The leverage

between partners and associates, andthe culture, is very different," she says.Lorenz has

already handed in his notice but has still to negotiate withBoesebeck Droste with regard

to the partnership termination.