International law firm McDermott Will & Emery is pleased to announce the opening of its new office in Germany’s financial centre, Frankfurt. The new office further boosts McDermott’s presence in Germany, with Frankfurt becoming its third office in Germany, while broadening and deepening the Firm’s Corporate practice in Europe.

The office will be led by leading corporate finance partner Philipp von Ilberg, and he will be joined by highly respected corporate and securities partners, Joseph Marx, Dr. Martin Kniehase and Dr. Moritz von Hutten.  All four join from Dewey & LeBoeuf’s Frankfurt office.

Philipp was formerly head of Dewey & LeBoeuf’s Frankfurt office. His practice includes public M&A, general corporate, capital markets and German and cross-border financings. Philipp represents leading global financial institutions and corporations, both in Germany and throughout Europe.

Partner Joseph Marx joins the Firm in the Corporate group. He is US-qualified and has a well established practice in the US Securities market. Joseph provides capital markets advice and general corporate advice in cross-border M&A transactions to international clients, including US clients doing business in Europe and Asia.

Partner Dr. Martin Kniehase joins the firm in the Corporate group. His practice focuses on equity capital markets and equity linked securities work. He also has specific experience in relation to Directors’ responsibilities. Partner Dr. Moritz von Hutten also joins the Firm in the Corporate group. He focuses on banking, capital markets and general corporate work. 

“We’re delighted to welcome Philipp, Joseph, Martin and Moritz to the Firm,” said Peter J. Sacripanti, co-chair of McDermott Will & Emery.  “Opening in Frankfurt with such high-caliber lawyers is an important strategic move for the Firm and our clients. Frankfurt is a key international financial center in one of the strongest economies of the world. It is also our third German office, with Munich and Dusseldorf celebrating their ten-year anniversary in the summer.”

“This is an exciting period of growth for McDermott. We are a strong and stable firm, with growing profits, revenue, footprint and headcount, all without taking on bank debt or undue risk,” commented Jeffrey E. Stone, co-chair of McDermott Will & Emery. “We now serve our clients across all the major European financial centers, offering access to our capabilities across the European Union, the United States and Asia.”

“We are all delighted to join McDermott,” said Philipp von Ilberg. “The Firm’s strength and depth in the US and Asia, as well as its presence across the key European jurisdictions, will provide our German and international clients with high-quality, multi-jurisdictional capability.” 

“The Frankfurt team fits nicely into the McDermott fabric and replicates the practice as it now exists throughout our international platform. Our aim is to provide a fully integrated, cross-border Corporate practice across Europe, US and Asia, and with the arrival of Philipp and his team, we are strengthening our offering” adds David Goldman, partner and head of the Firm’s Corporate Advisory Practice Group. 

“We excel as a firm in our representation in M&A for “mid-cap” and major international clients. Our new Frankfurt office constitutes our eighth office in Europe one year after Paris was established”, commented Hugh Nineham, partner and Head of European Corporate practice.

The opening of the new Frankfurt office comes during a period of significant growth in Europe. Over the last nine months McDermott has moved to expand its international transactional capabilities, with a focus on private equity, energy and cross-border M&A. Most recently, the Firm announced the following new hires:

In London: Tax partner Tom Scott and private equity partners Mark Davis and Russell Van Praagh;

In Paris: International Arbitration partner Jacob Grierson and Regulatory partner Sabine Naugès;

In Munich: Energy partner Michael Ruoff and Intellectual Property partner Alexander Harguth;

In Dusseldorf: Corporate partner Holger Weiss and Corporate counsel Oliver Lieth and Jan Hueckel;

In Milan: Corporate partner Giovanni Nicchiniello.