Schilling Zutt raids Skadden for Frankfurt launch

Skadden partner Dr Hans-Goerg Berg is leaving the firm for SZA along with counsel Rolf Schmich and associate Bjorn Enders.

The move leaves Skadden with no tax practitioners in its Frankfurt office, though the firm insists it will have little impact on its transactional capabilities.  

A spokesperson said: “We wish the team well. Our transactional work is unaffected, and we’ve received a number of new mandates in recent weeks and continue to advise on ongoing deals, such as the $7.2bn Merck/Millipore transaction.”

SZA’s Frankfurt office will house 13 lawyers when it opens in the summer. 

Alongside the tax team, M&A partners Marc Lobbe and Stephan Brandes will join private client partner Stephan Scherer from SZA’s Mannheim office.

SZA was formed in April 2008 when 30 lawyers split from Shearman & Sterling’s Mannheim office (22 April 2008).

“Following our independence from Shearman & Sterling, opening a Frankfurt office is the next logical step,” said SZA partner Jochem Reichert

“We expect to further build and strengthen our team in Frankfurt in the coming months, on the partner level as well.”

Berg specialises in transactional tax law and corporate and group tax, and recently advised Deutsche Bank in the acquisition of Agency Securities Lending Business form Dresdner Bank.