By James Boxell
Linklaters' former German partner Schon Nolte is merging with national firm Gaedertz Rechtsanwalte to create the fourth-largest firm in Germany.
The two firms, which will operate under the name Gaedertz, said the merger was the first stage of an aggressive plan for international expansion.
The 55 lawyers, including 25 partners, from Schon Nolte's Hamburg, Frankfurt and Brussels offices, will join 130 lawyers at Gaedertz Rechtsanwalte, which has offices in Frankfurt, Berlin, Munich, Cologne, and Brussels.
The two firms are also about to merge with eight-lawyer Munich firm Ilert Berustort, which will give Gaedertz a total of 194 lawyers – including 88 partners.
Schon Nolte's Frankfurt lawyers this week moved in to Gaedertz Rechtsanwalte's offices in the city and are in the process of doing the same in Brussels.
The new firm will have 40 lawyers in Hamburg, Schon Nolte's main stronghold, making it the second-largest in the city, with an additional 23 lawyers in Berlin.
Schon Nolte's former Berlin partner firm Finkelnburg & Clemm – the two firms were collectively known as Schon Nolte Finkelnburg & Clemm – has not joined the new merger, opting instead to team its 25 lawyers with the rapidly growing Frankfurt and Hamburg firm Fedderson Laule Scherzberg & Ohle Hansen Ewerwahn.
Dr Christian Edye, a senior partner at Schon Nolte and a prime mover behind the merger, said his firm had decided to terminate its relationship with Finkelnburg & Clemm because it was "not happy" with the degree of integration between the two firms.
According to Edye, the main purpose of the Gaedertz Rechtsanwalte merger is to provide a solid platform for international expansion.
"The definitive reason, indeed the basis of the whole merger, is international," he said.
"We felt that our practice areas complemented each other well."
Schon Nolte mainly did mergers and acquisitions, corporate and commercial property work, with a substantial cross-border element.
Gaedertz has been more active domestically, involving itself in antitrust, IP, competition, new media and telecoms work. It is one of the leading IP and competition firms in Germany.
"The consolidation of both firms in Germany means we have the manpower and the whole range of practice areas needed to compete internationally," Edye added.
Edye said while his firm was not yet talking to any specific foreign firms, it was only interested in pursuing full international mergers. "We have no intention of going abroad on our own," he said.
"You cannot grow your own practice at a speed necessary to build up the expertise needed. We are also not interested in affiliations, we are only interested in allegiances whose stated aim is full merger."
According to Edye, Gaedertz was more likely to look to continental Europe before looking for a UK partner, although it definitely intended to enter the UK market sooner rather than later. "It is a question of taking the opportunities as they arise," he said.
Edye said the two firms settled on the Gaedertz name to provide a single brand name. "It is a symbol of our full integration," he added.