White & Case loses partners to Shearmans

US law firm White & Case is losing two of its German partners to rival firm Shearman & Sterling.

Roger Kiem and Jost Kotthoff will both join the M&A department at Shearmans' Frankfurt office.

Kiem has advised national and international clients on crossborder M&A and is experienced in telecommunications, energy, public utilities and financial services. Kotthoff has worked with domestic and international clients on patent, trademark, design right, unfair competition, e-commerce, media and IT matters.

"The move is part of a strategy to provide local depth and expertise as well as a worldwide network capable of handling the largest and most complex foreign and crossborder transactions," says Shearmans senior partner Stephen Volk.

White & Case partner John Riggs, who has overall responsibility for Germany says that Shearmans has been aggressively recruiting. He denies, however, that the loss of the two partners is a problem.