CMS strengthens strategic growth areas with eleven new partners

Berlin – Commercial law firm CMS has appointed eleven new partners from five practice areas at the start of the year. “We are delighted to strengthen our partnership by appointing highly qualified individuals who share an entrepreneurial mindset,” said managing partner Dr Hubertus Kolster. The new partners will enable CMS to expand its advice on Corporate/M&A, Commercial, Banking & Finance, Real Estate & Public and Compliance & Forensic Services, along with other areas. The appointments affect six CMS locations in Germany, as well as the CMS office in Beijing. “Our firm can again look back on a very successful year. We intend to build on this success together with these outstanding new partners and the commitment they bring,” said Hubertus Kolster.

In the latest “Kanzleimonitor” survey, which is conducted annually by the German Federal Association of Corporate Lawyers (BUJ), CMS came first in the overall assessment for the third time in a row. This highlights the fact that CMS is the law firm most frequently recommended by heads of in-house legal departments. Hubertus Kolster: “This excellent result is not least an indication of the special professional expertise, high quality standards and real-world advice provided by CMS lawyers in the course of complex instructions and projects. The partner appointments for 2017 will allow us to further consolidate this strong market position.”

As the largest law firm in the German legal market, CMS intends to focus increasingly on digital transformation, regulation and risk and resource management over the coming years, together with the legal challenges associated with these strategic areas. Hubertus Kolster: “Digital progress will also lead to major changes in the way companies access and use legal services. We believe that the future of legal advice lies in a combination of integrated efficiency-boosting solutions and specialised legal expertise.”

CMS Hasche Sigle

Dr Ulrich Becker (Commercial, Frankfurt) deals predominantly with distribution law as well as product liability and product safety law.
Dr Kerstin Block (Banking & Finance, Hamburg) focuses on asset and project finance in the fields of transport and energy/infrastructure.
Florian Block (Compliance & Forensic Services, Munich) will strengthen the Compliance section through his appointment. He advises companies on the introduction and implementation of compliance management programmes, especially anti-corruption measures, and on the comprehensive investigation and resolution of compliance violations.
Johanna Hofmann (Real Estate & Public, Frankfurt) mainly advises on real estate transactions, asset management and development projects.
Dr Christiane Kappes (Real Estate & Public, Hamburg) specialises in environmental and planning law with a focus on protecting nature and wildlife. She also advises on complex licensing and planning permission procedures.
Dr Thorsten Schätzlein (Real Estate & Public, Düsseldorf) advises primarily on building and construction projects with a high level of technical and commercial complexity.
Dr Tobias Grau (Corporate/M&A, Stuttgart) mainly advises companies in the life sciences and financial institutions sectors on transactions and restructuring.
Dr Christoph Lächler (Corporate/M&A, Stuttgart) will further strengthen the M&A and Private Equity sections, especially in the Family Equity/Family Offices segment.
Dr Jochen Lux (Corporate/M&A, Leipzig) advises on national and cross-border M&A transactions with a particular focus on IT, e-commerce, real estate and healthcare.
Dr Michael Wangemann (Corporate/M&A, Munich) advises on national and international M&A transactions. His particular expertise is in technology, media & communications and financial services.
Dr Falk Lichtenstein (Corporate/M&A, Beijing) advises clients on Chinese corporate law, Chinese and international commercial law and on dispute resolution.

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