DLA Piper Frankfurt managing partner Michael Holzhäuser is to join Ashurst’s competition team in Germany.
Holzhäuser joined DLA Piper in 2012 from Dewey & LeBoeuf after the firm filed for bankruptcy in the US and the UK.
His team was led by Dewey’s corporate co-chair in the region Thomas Schmuck who remains at DLA Piper. Holzhäuser was a counsel at the time of the move, having headed Dewey’s German cartel law practice.
Commenting on the move, Ashurst’s Frankfurt managing partner Tobias Krug said: “Germany is one of the most important markets for antitrust in the EU, and in the last three years we have witnessed high growth in antitrust investigations and competition litigation issue.
“Michael’s appointment therefore comes at a critical and exciting time, and I am delighted to welcome him to the firm.”
In the last year, Holzhäuser has advised large corporates such as Active Ownership Capital on its public takeover offer for exceet Group, Perusa on its acquisition of MBN and BASF on its deal with Solvay.
He also works on cartel damages claims and investigations, most recently defending Merck in its proceedings in the European Commission over patent disputes.
His move leaves DLA Piper with one competition partner in Frankfurt, Daniel Sharma. However, Sharma spends the majority of his time focusing on international disputes work and arbitrations.
In Continental Europe, DLA Piper closed two offices last year, including one in Georgia and Berlin. Lawyers in Georgia moved over to Dentons, while Berlin fee-earners joined DWF.
Last November DLA Piper co-chair Juan Picon also resigned from the firm to join Latham & Watkins in Madrid, taking two corporate partners with him.
