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Expertise
18/03/2024
Swedish law firm Wistrand successfully integrated into CMS
Today, following an onboarding period, the top-ten Swedish law firm Wistrand formally becomes CMS Wistrand. In November 2023, CMS first announced that it would be expanding into Sweden, strengthening its presence in the Nordic re­gion.“De­vel­op­ing a strong Nordic platform is important as our clients expect us to support them in major business hubs around the world,” says Pierre-Sé­bas­tien Thill, CMS Chairman. “We already have CMS Kluge offices in Bergen, Oslo and Stavanger. Now with CMS Wistrand, we can offer clients deep local expertise in Sweden, combined with our global reach.”Wis­trand, a full-service law firm, has 51 equity partners and around 210 employees, with offices in Sweden’s capital Stockholm and its second-largest city Gothenburg. The firm has a well-established presence in the Swedish business and legal com­munit­ies.“After more than 100 years as a Swedish law firm, we are pleased to announce that, following the successful integration with CMS, we have formally become CMS Wistrand and are now colleagues with over 5,800 lawyers in 47 countries worldwide,” says Maria Kosteska Fägerquist, Chair of the Board at Wistrand in Gothenburg. “In today's legal landscape, having effective and well-structured teams across borders is crucial. It creates value for clients by reducing friction in deliveries and expediting the process of acquiring legal services.”CMS and Wistrand not only share expertise areas, but both also recognise that being future-ready is busi­ness-crit­ic­al. “Being future-facing means anticipating challenges and driving innovation. We are positioning ourselves to deliver solutions that shape the industry and help our clients navigate the changing landscape confidently,” says Fredrik Råsberg, Chair of the Board at Wistrand in Stockholm. “However, our commitment doesn't end with innovation. Successfully steering the ESG agenda with a focus on climate change and social responsibility is of great importance for companies now and in the future, and as a law firm, we have a responsibility to help our clients successfully tackle these is­sues.”“Ex­pand­ing in the Nordic region is a key part of CMS becoming future-ready,” says Duncan Weston, Executive Partner at CMS. “As businesses increasingly face global challenges, whether supply chain issues, digitalisation and AI or climate change, we believe that a strong global legal organisation with deep local roots can offer the most effective solutions.”
08/01/2024
CMS Appoints Seven New Practice and Sector Group Heads
CMS is pleased to announce the new heads for five of its international expertise groups. All CMS lawyers work in cross-border groups in 76 cities across 45 countries that are structured according to the industries in which our clients operate. Commercial Sam De Silva (CMS UK) will join Aukje Haan (CMS Netherlands) as co-head of the CMS Commercial Group. Based in London, Sam specialises in complex and strategic technology and outsourcing projects including all forms of cloud computing, outsourcing, system development and supply, system integration, software licensing, and support and service agreements. Sam also regularly advises on data protection, privacy, cybersecurity and Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) issues. Employment Gaël Chuffart (CMS Belgium) and Daniela Krömer (CMS Austria) have been appointed as co-heads of the CMS Employment Group. Based in Brussels, Gaël advises on a wide range of employment law and social security matters. He specialises in collective labour relations, individual labour law and remuneration conditions. He also advises on international employee mobility. Daniela, based in Vienna, specialises in employment law and European law. In her work she focuses on assisting clients with issues such as the cross-border use of labour, as well as equal-treatment issues. Life Sciences & Healthcare Sarah Hanson (CMS UK) and Roland Wiring (CMS Germany) have been named as co-heads of the CMS Life Sciences & Healthcare Group. Sarah is based in London and specialises in high value, cross-border commercial, intellectual property and outsourcing transactions. She has advised on a broad range of commercial agreements related to in-licensing and out-licensing, sales and distributor arrangements, research and development, manufacturing and supply, strategic alliances and joint ventures. Based in Hamburg, Roland advises and represents pharmaceutical, medical device and biotech companies as well as enterprises in related industries. He specialises in drafting contracts for research and development, cooperations, distribution and transaction, and has expert knowledge of issues related to advertising. Private Equity Hamburg-based partner, Jacob Siebert (CMS Germany) joins Jason Zemmel (CMS UK) as co-head of the CMS Private Equity Group. Jacob advises strategic investors and private equity funds on merger and acquisition transactions, joint ventures and private equity investments, often across borders. He has significant experience in advising on buy-outs and public takeovers. Jacob also assists his clients with all aspects of corporate law. Public Procurement Brussels-based partner, Virginie Dor (CMS Belgium) has been named as the head of the CMS Public Procurement Group. In this role, Virginie specialises in legal support for large-scale public projects and advises contracting authorities and companies in all sectors on advisory and litigation matters. Additionally, she supports projects in the fields of life-sciences, construction, IT and energy.
28/11/2023
CMS | Empowering COP28 with comprehensive legal support
Press release - 27.11.2023Em­power­ing COP28 with comprehensive legal supportCMS will deliver broad-ranging legal pro bono support for COP28, which will be hosted by the United Arab Emirates from 30 November to 12 December 2023. The support includes sustainable finance, data privacy and security, trademark registration, brand protection, reputation management, event-related advice, UN-related partnerships, in­ter­gov­ern­ment­al cooperation, technology platforms for start-ups, and relevant agreements with global tech companies. The initiative is led by Dr. Döne Yalçın, partner and key member of the global CMS Sustainability and ESG leadership team. She is supported by Munir Hassan, partner and head of the CMS Energy & Climate Change Group, and more than 160 CMS colleagues from around the world. The project is strengthened by collaboration with stakeholders across the firm to ensure a comprehensive and effective approach. This achievement marks a significant milestone for the firm and reaffirms its commitment to climate action. As demonstrated by its engagement with the UN Global Compact, CMS actively contributes to the world's largest corporate social responsibility initiative. This commitment covers four key areas: the environment, human rights, labour and anti-corruption. CMS prioritises climate action, as evidenced by ambitious carbon reduction targets, and firmly believes that a successful transition to a more sustainable future requires thoughtful regulation that recognises its integral role in driving meaningful change. The Paris Agreement aims to reduce global emissions by 50% by 2030. As we approach the six-year mark, the gathering of government representatives, policymakers, NGOs, citizens, and businesses at COP28 will be crucial for assessing progress and developing plans to achieve this goal. Immediate and collaborative efforts across both the public and private sectors are essential to the success of these efforts. By empowering governments and businesses to live up to their responsibilities and by strengthening their capacity to deliver impactful change at scale, CMS is committed to building a better working world - one that is future-facing, sustainable, and inclusive. Dr. Döne Yalçın, managing partner, International Co-head of ESG and Sustainability, “It is a privilege and an honour for us to have been selected as a provider of legal services for COP28. This appointment is a testament to our commitment to embed sustainability in our DNA. We are excited to support an event that has the potential to create positive global change in addressing the climate crisis. Our approach aligns seamlessly with 'Unite, Act, Deliver' and demonstrates our unwavering commitment to advancing global sustainability efforts.”Learn more about COP28 UAE - United Nations Climate Change Conference
28/11/2023
CMS launches International Digital Regulation Hub providing a clear roadmap...
All businesses should be prepared to grasp the opportunities in digital regulation 
14/11/2023
CMS to join forces with Swedish law firm Wistrand
With expansion into Sweden, CMS strengthens its presence in the Nordics
16/10/2023
Blurring Boundaries – Exploring the convergence of life sciences and law
A unique life sciences Forum brought the legal challenges created by the rapid pace of technological advances into sharp focus with sector focused sessions and informative workshops. Experts from across the sector framed the incredible potential from digital and AI and called for the expertise of legal teams to take the ‘’regulatory handbrake’ off innovation that has transformative potential for healthcare systems and patients. CMS’s much-anticipated Global Life Sciences & Healthcare Forum 2023, co-hosted by Ellen Gielen, Roland Wiring and Gertie Lintjens, delivered a wealth of insight and ignited discussion about how regulatory frameworks can be tested and revised without compromising safety, security and compliance. Blurring Boundaries – Exploring the convergence of life sciences and law heard from leading figures from pharmaceutical companies, cutting edge AI enterprises, legal experts and biotech organisations with a strong accent on debate and collaboration. Marc Kaptein, Medical Director, Pfizer, revealed the unchartered territory he and his team had to tread during the pandemic as the company partnered with BioNTech to release a COVID vaccine and maximise its public uptake. In a fascinating talk, he outlined the twists and turns of the inside story of how Pfizer struck a rapid deal with BioNTech by ‘shaking hands’ and then balanced the societal benefits of maximising its vaccination with legal constraints designed to control public promotion.A willingness to break fresh ground legally, politically, scientifically and logistically was an integral part of the success story and he underlined to guests at the Forum, held in Amsterdam, that ‘without blurring boundaries, we would not have got where we are today’. Joep Rijnierse, Senior Medical Director at Amgen, highlighted its pioneering approach to  work closely with patient groups to generate therapy promise across a complete health condition. He said that the company’s medical departments worked with internal and external legal advisers to find ways to manage constraints in the mission to enhance all areas of healthcare delivery to improve systems and outcomes. Legal expertise is critical in shaping the landscape for AI developments and speakers from across the life sciences spectrum underscored the need for regulatory frameworks to evolve at pace. Life sciences is experiencing seismic change and Thibault Helleputte, the Founder and CEO of DNAlytics, revealed that the BioGPT initiative was able to identify medical hypotheses from deep in the data of 15 million papers in PubMed library to give scientists unprecedented R&D leads. The Forum was an opportunity to discuss how legal teams can use their skill and knowledge to ensure that regulatory frameworks did not impede progress and to explore fast and safe pathways for innovations to become working reality. Wouter Boon, Associate Professor in Innovation and Life Sciences at Utrecht University, emphasised the need to place legal aspects at the inception of the innovation process, observing that the sector was ‘highly regulated for all good reasons but it means that radical innovation has a tough job.’The Forum covered an impressive sweep of themes including AI, digital therapeutics, the challenges of multi-jur­is­dic­tion­al online pharmacies, the new EU medicines directive and co-creation with regulators.“We had a great range of speakers who focused on advances and roadblocks across the life sciences sector and provided us all with some innovative and provocative approaches,” said Nick Beckett, Global Co-Head of CMS Life Sciences & Healthcare Sector Group. “It was a fantastic opportunity to discuss, explore and collaborate and the insights and learnings it generated will help us face global challenges in life sciences.“We have to navigate global challenges such as sustainability, poverty, inequality, ageing populations; concerns about privacy with the use of data, concerns about ethics and the use of AI. To do that we need global perspectives and we believe that CMS as a firm, with 80 offices worldwide, is well positioned to navigate issues, foster collaborations and be a vital partner in moving life science innovation forward in the digital age.”
09/10/2023
Closing the gap between fast-paced technological advances in life sciences...
CMS Life Sciences & Healthcare Sector Group’s Forum 2023 provides expert insights, discussion and innovations to meet the challenge
27/09/2023
CMS now present in Mozambique
CMS signs with Maputo-based firm CGA
26/09/2023
CMS signs a cooperation agreement with Brazilian law firm FAS Advogados
CMS strengthens position in Latin America
12/09/2023
Surging wave of class actions sweeps Europe | Press release
New report from global law firm CMS finds that 121 claims were filed in 2022 alone, up from 55 in 2018The report is unique in tracking the number of claims filed in Europe – it is the only source which identifies risk and trendsReport finds that no sector is immune to burgeoning accessibility of class actions across the region UK remains the highest risk jurisdiction for class actions in Europe
08/09/2023
European real estate investment proved volatile in 2022, despite a promising...
Total investment across the European real estate market fell by around 14% in 2022 compared to the previous year, coming in at €248 billion, according to global law firm CMS’ latest European Real Estate Deal Point Study. During the first six months of 2022, the markets rebounded from the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in a flourish of transactions and total investment for the period – matching the record levels seen in 2020. In the second half of 2022, however, the sharp increase in financing costs prompted cautious investment behaviour, leading to a decline in overall investment levels across the continent. The decline was particularly pronounced in the fourth quarter of 2022, with investments plummeting by 57% compared to the same period in 2021, reaching approximately €47 billion. The report noted that investment trends varied widely across countries, with Italy (+25%), Spain (+29%) and Belgium (+177%) experiencing greater investment volumes in 2022. France (+1%) maintained investment levels similar to the previous year, whilst Germany (-16%) and the UK (-19%) witnessed a decline.
08/08/2023
CMS posts strong results for 2022 | Press release
Total revenues of EUR 1.862bn, with 6.2% year-on-year growth. Demand for CMS’s global advisory expertise was strong amidst rising geopolitical tensions and evolving business needs. Corporate and commercial practice, dispute resolution and employment practices were the biggest contributors of revenue growth. Appointment of CMS’s first Chief Marketing Officer to oversee the planning, development and execution of marketing and growth initiatives. Firm consistently garnered widespread industry recognition throughout the year, solidifying its reputation as a major legal entity.8 August 2023: Global law firm CMS has today announced revenues for the financial year January-December 2022 of 1.862 billion euros, representing a year-on-year growth rate of 6.2%. The firm achieved this growth despite facing several economic and political headwinds, including the ongoing impact of the Russia-Ukraine war and rising inflationary pressures. Commenting on the figures, Pierre-Sé­bas­tien Thill, CMS Chairman, said: “2022 was a tough year for businesses across the globe. These results demonstrate the remarkable resilience of our team and the depth of their client relationships. As we all navigated another challenging year, it is undeniable that the team’s commitment to delivering outstanding service for our clients played a significant role in our continued success.”The biggest contributor of revenue growth was the firm’s global corporate and commercial practice, as well as its dispute resolution and employment practices. Other significant areas of high growth included the firm’s tax, banking and real estate offerings. ADAPTING TO A CHANGING WORLD With clients facing the complexities of geopolitical tensions and ever-changing regulations, the firm developed expert guides and reports to ensure that clients were equipped with up-to-date legal information, including sanctions lists. By navigating the intricate legal landscape and offering counsel, the firm proved itself as a trusted partner to its clients during a time of heightened uncertainty and geopolitical challenges. Additionally, as the world continued to embrace remote working, CMS leveraged its expertise in digitalisation and artificial intelligence to enhance its overall business performance, both internally and as part of its overall client offering. This included strengthening its global technology practice through the development of “super specialisms” in critical areas such as cybersecurity and AI, exemplifying its commitment to staying at the forefront of emerging issues that matter most to its clients. STRENGTHENING SENIOR LEADERSHIP In January 2022, CMS further strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of Rob Gijsen as its first Chief Marketing Officer. He is responsible for setting the firm’s strategic direction in marketing, streamlining business development and processes, and ensuring consistent global standards. This strategic move reflected CMS’s focus on optimising its market presence and enhancing client experiences across borders. COMMITMENT TO ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY In the last financial year, the firm reaffirmed its commitment to sustainability and ethical business practices by filing its second Communication on Progress (COP) report to the UN Global Compact in August last year. In September, CMS launched its ESG Charter which serves as a framework to set out its approach and commitments in relation to responsible business and environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors. Isabel Scholes, CMS Executive Director, said: “Last year was another period of huge change and uncertainty, not least following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, our firm was able to adapt and provide essential guidance for clients under such circumstances. As the topics of ESG and cybersecurity continue to be high up on the agenda of businesses, we will continue to dedicate resource to best serve those needs.” INDUSTRY RECOGNITION CMS was recognised in the Thomson Reuters Global Elite Law Firm Brand Index 2022, where the firm’s position rose significantly to 13 (from 20 in 2021). This recognition underscores CMS’s growing reputation and influence in the legal industry. In regional rankings, CMS made significant strides in March 2022, ascending three places to secure 4th position in the Mainland Europe section and two places to reach 3rd position in the UK Brand Index of the Thomson Reuters Regional Law Firm Brand Indexes. These rankings reflect CMS’s dedication to delivering exceptional legal services across different regions. In August, Lupl, the open industry technology platform for legal matters developed alongside Cooley and Rajah & Tann, collaborated with the Singapore Ministry of Law (MinLaw) – further establishing CMS’s engagement with key stakeholders across the legal landscape. 2023 SO FAR – INVESTING IN PEOPLE In April of this year, the firm demonstrated its commitment to nurturing and recognising talent by promoting 62 lawyers to partner positions across 26 cities in the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. Dr Duncan Weston, CMS Executive Partner, added: “We are very pleased that the firm grew again in the last financial year, whilst continuing to invest in our people and the development of our business. The challenges of globalisation are giving rise to new legal practices and deepening the importance of others. Embracing these shifts enables us to provide comprehensive solutions and strategic counsel, fostering stronger partnerships in an increasingly interconnected world.”