Herbies alliance firm Gleiss Lutz launches in Hamburg

As part of the launch Berlin corporate partner Fred Wendt and tax partner Johann Wagner will relocate to Hamburg, with the latter tasked with building up a tax practice.

Six-partner Rittstieg was formed in 2000 when Andreas Rittstieg and Rüdiger Zeller spun out of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer to set up alone, focusing on transactional work.

Gleiss Lutz managing partner Rainer Loges said that taking on Rittstieg fits with the firm’s strategy of growing its corporate practice with the addition of “excellent lawyers”.

“We all have the highest demands on the quality of our work, share the same partnership culture and strongly believe in the importance of a personal relationship of trust with our clients,” Loges added. “Hamburg is an important economic region in Germany which promises considerable potential for us.“

Rittstieg added that joining Gleiss Lutz will give the firm’s clients access to a full-service firm.

He added: “We’ve proven in the past 10 years that we can handle complex matters with the same quality as major leading law firms.

“We can provide access to an excellent established international network through Gleiss Lutz’s alliance with Herbert Smith and Stibbe on the one hand and the excellent relationships to other leading independent firms worldwide.”