Mayer Brown refocuses in Germany with Düsseldorf launch
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Mayer Brown is set to consolidate its presence in the German market, closing its bases in Cologne and Berlin and launching a new office in Düsseldorf.
Düsseldorf
The firm’s office in Frankfurt will remain unchanged.
Partner Friedrich Merz will relocate from Berlin to Düsseldorf to lead the corporate and securities practice in Germany.
Cologne partner Christof Gaudig will also relocate to Düsseldorf to assume the role of German global integration partner with responsibility for strengthening activity between the German offices and the rest of the firm’s global platform.
The office in Düsseldorf, which will open at the beginning of 2012, will focus initially on corporate, real estate and antitrust matters.
This latest development is part of a wider reorganisation of the firm’s German operations, which is aimed at targeting closer relationships with clients in Asia. Düsseldorf has become a focal point for Chinese and Japanese companies looking to do business in Germany.
Joerg Wulfken, managing partner of Mayer Brown Germany, said: “Düsseldorf is one of the leading industry and financial services areas in Germany. We want to get closer to our clients and Düsseldorf makes sense.
“Cologne is very close to Düsseldorf and having an office there does not make sense. We decided that having one larger office was better than two smaller ones.”
The firm is currently sourcing office premises for the move to Düsseldorf.
Readers' comments (3)
Anonymous | 18-Aug-2011 2:05 pm
Like Linklaters 3 years ago.
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Heinrich | 18-Aug-2011 3:20 pm
This has more to do with the political ambitions of Friedrich Merz than a strategic move by MB. The only reason to do this would be that the German management have convinced Chicago to release more funds if they moved - "like Linklaters did" - from Cologne to Dusseldorf to find some laterals.
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Anonymous | 19-Aug-2011 11:22 am
If the venue of your office is more important than the services you render that is the right decision.
The Linklaters people who did not move formed Oppenhoff Partner. They have an excellent reputation and are well connected all over Germany.
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