Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP today announced that leading capital markets lawyers Simon Weiss and Joseph Marx will join the Firm as partners, based in the Firm’s Frankfurt office. Their addition will extend the Firm’s global capital markets platform and establish a Frankfurt- based practice, continuing the Firm’s investment and expansion in the German market. Their move to Willkie will follow more than ten prominent Frankfurt partner and counsel hires in recent years, including partners Anne Kleffmann this year and Jens-Olrik Murach in 2021, as well as internal promotions. Simon and Joe will join the Firm from McDermott Will & Emery.
“In the space of only two years we have added a number of new practices to our German offering, including real estate, litigation, restructuring, employment and regulatory law, while continuing to expand our private equity and M&A capabilities,” said Corporate & Financial Services partner Georg Linde, who heads Willkie’s Frankfurt office. “Simon and Joe are well-known and talented practitioners. They will serve as the core of our new German capital markets practice, which will be a valuable resource to the expanding needs of our clients in Germany and across the Firm.”
Simon focuses his practice on IPOs, capital increases, equity-linked transactions and investment grade and high-yield bond offerings. He regularly advises issuers, underwriters and other key market players in a wide range of complex domestic and cross-border equity and debt transactions. He also provides regulatory advice on capital markets transactions, public M&A and corporate matters. He has worked at leading firms in both Germany and the US.
Joe has over 20 years of extensive experience in international capital markets transactions, including initial public offerings, rights issuances, accelerated primary and secondary offerings, Rule 144A transactions, US registered offerings, private placement transactions and debt offerings, as well as cross-border mergers and acquisitions, dual track processes and other corporate transactions. He has worked across a broad range of industries, including chemicals, automotive, life sciences and real estate.
Simon and Joe commented: “We are excited to join Willkie’s outstanding global platform and look forward to working with such a vibrant and successful team. Collaborating with Willkie’s market-leading practice groups, in particular private equity, will enable our clients to benefit from the full breadth of the Willkie platform and provide us with unique opportunities to contribute our experience in advising on complex capital markets transactions.”
Willkie’s Frankfurt office handles complex corporate and commercial transactions that demand multifaceted legal experience. Our attorneys are known for providing solution-driven advice innovatively tailored to meet the unique needs of each client. Clients value especially our practical business approach to helping them reach their goals, as well as our cost-effective and streamlined style of transaction management.
