Exits continue from Latham in Europe as two Germany partners depart
Latest moves take the firm's total Germany exits this year to four alongside departures in Italy and London
October 23, 2015 at 06:14 AM
3 minute read
Latham & Watkins is set to see two further partner departures in Germany as the firm reshuffles its European operations following a number of high profile hires.
Corporate partner Kilian Helmreich in Munich and banking partner Christina Ungeheuer in Frankfurt are both set to leave the firm, taking total partner departures in Germany to four this year.
Helmreich, who was made up to partner in 2010, is joining German boutique Guett Olk Feldhaus, while former Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy lawyer Ungeheuer's next move is not yet clear.
Their exits come after Munich founding partner Jorg Kirchner left for Kirkland & Ellis in July, while Munich private equity partner Volkmar Bruckner joined Weil Gotshal & Manges in June.
The firm has also seen a number of exits elsewhere in Europe, with three partners departing in Italy since September last year, three partners leaving in London since January this year and a number of partners in Paris understood to have been de-equitised.
Exits in Italy include private equity specialist Tommaso Amirante, based in both Rome and Milan, who left in February this year for Milan boutique LMS Studio Legale, while two partners left for Gattai Minoli & Partners last September, led by banking and finance group chair Riccardo Agostinelli.
In London, the firm has seen three partners leave this year.
Last month, structured finance partner Lucy Oddy joined Allen & Overy's real estate finance team.
In July, corporate partner Graeme Sloan joined Morrison & Foerster as the firm's London corporate head and global M&A co-chair, while King & Spalding recruited Latham's vice chair of tax and benefits Daniel Friel as a partner in its international tax practice in London earlier in the year.
All of these exits come amid a number of high profile hires by Latham in Europe.
The firm has hired three Clifford Chance (CC) partners in Germany since March, with German banking and capital markets head Alexandra Hageluken, former global co-head of private equity Oliver Felsenstein and private equity partner Burc Hesse all joining Latham in Germany. It has also added three partners in London since last September including Herbert Smith Freehills energy partner Simon Tysoe in February this year.
"When Latham set up in Germany they had a hotchpotch of different lawyers. There is now a reshuffle and some people are not happy internally about new partners. It is a place in flux," said one source close to the firm.
A partner at a rival firm meanwhile added: "They are trying to upgrade partners by replacing them so there is a lot of coming and going."
A former partner commented: "Latham has grown quite quickly so maybe that's why this is happening."
Latham first opened its doors in London in 1990 before launching on the continent in 2001 in Frankfurt, Hamburg and Paris. It now has four bases in Germany with the additions of Munich in 2005 and Duesseldorf in 2013. The firm also has offices in Belgium, Russia and Spain.
The exits in Europe over the past 12 months come as the firm also shifted its strategy in the Middle East this year. In March the firm announced it would close its offices in Abu Dhabi and Doha by the end of 2015 and refocus its efforts on its remaining base in Dubai.
Latham declined to comment.
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