Global law firm Goodwin announced today that Jan Schinköth will join the firm’s Private Equity group as partner further strengthening the German capabilities of its leading European and global team. Schinköth comes to the firm from Sidley Austin. Schinköth, who will be resident in Munich on a remote basis, brings more than 15 years of experience in advising private equity transactions both domestically and cross-border.
He provides advice to private equity and strategic investors on complex leveraged buy-outs, refinancing transactions, growth equity deals and general corporate matters. Schinköth is ranked as a recommended lawyer for both M&A and Private Equity work in the JUVE Handbook, as well as among the “best lawyers“ for private equity law by Handelsblatt Best Lawyers 2021.
“Jan is further evidence that we continue to attract the top talent across the German market to partner with our clients and help them achieve their business objectives,” said Stephan Kock, chair of Goodwin’s Frankfurt office. “Adding Jan’s experience and capabilities to our existing, and growing, German team is another notable step as we continue to enhance our capital meets innovation proposition across Europe.”
“We are delighted that a recognized market-leading practitioner like Jan has agreed to join our expansive private equity platform in Europe and help us build out this practice in Germany,” said Erik Dahl, partner in Goodwin’s Private Equity practice. “He is a great fit on multiple levels, both in his collaborative approach and also his extensive experience advising sponsors on cross-border, large cap buyouts through to growth equity deals. His deep knowledge of the technology space in Germany also provides a bridge to our funds clients investing in an industry we recognize to be disrupting almost every sector of the global economy.”
In addition to Schinköth, private equity counsel Sebastian Walczak will be joining Goodwin in Germany. Walczak focuses on domestic and international private equity transactions, mergers and acquisitions, growth equity and venture capital investments.
Goodwin’s European Private Equity practice has grown substantially in the last 12 months, with the arrivals of James Grimwood, Erik Dahl, Christian Iwasko, Sava Savov, Michelle Tong, and John Van De North in 2020, and the appointment of Geoff O’Dea and Hugh O’Sullivan this year. With the recent addition of tax partners Dulcie Daly and David Irvine, who both have extensive experience advising sponsors, Goodwin now has more than 150 private equity lawyers in Europe across its London, Frankfurt, Paris, and Luxembourg offices.
Refinitiv named Goodwin the number one firm for private equity and venture capital rounds, and the number one legal advisor (by deal count) for global M&A in 2020, representing clients on more than 650 completed transactions. Goodwin was recently ranked highly for private equity in Chambers and Legal 500.
Since opening in 2016, Goodwin’s platform in Germany has grown to more than 30 lawyers serving premium European investors, lenders, and innovators across the private equity, real estate, technology, and financial services industries. The Frankfurt office recently added private investment fund partner Joachim Kayser to its bench to address the increased demand from German clients investing into US funds and international funds clients investing in Germany.
