Rödl & Partner vows to hit 80 offices by next year
German legal and professional services firm Rödl & Partner has begun a worldwide expansion drive that will include five new offices in the next 12 months.
Rödl, which became the first firm to open in Vietnam with its launch in Ho Chi Minh City last year, has begun the drive by opening an office in Hanoi.
The Hanoi office will be the firm’s 78th office across 37 countries, and will be followed by new bases in Chicago and Zurich in two months, taking its total office count to 80 across 38 countries,
Further office openings are planned for Latin America and Central and Eastern Europe in the next 12 months.
Rödl’s Asia Pacific group head Barbara Scharrer said: “Our business model as a multidisciplinary business consultancy for globally active companies is paying off.”
Rödl also opened an office in Minsk, Belarus, in November last year.
The firm opened its Ho Chi Minh City base a year ago to cash in on the booming economy since that country joined the World Trade Organisation in 2006.
The new Hanoi base opened this month will focus mainly on Vietnamese tax, legal and investment advisory work, mostly for foreign companies doing business in Vietnam.
The firm has 280 lawyers based across its offices, though not all of the locations are staffed with lawyers but with other professional services staff.
The firm recorded turnover of EUR173.4m (£136.6m) last year, and predicts turnover nearing EUR200m for 2008-09.
Landmark include advising IVG Immobilien on the purchase of the Gherkin tower (30 St Mary Axe) in London for £630m, assisting CMS Cameron McKenna on tax issues in 2006-07.
