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Saturday, 02 March 2013

Bird & Bird set to open in Germany24 June 2002

Vanessa PawseyPartners to vote on appointment of former Wessing chairmanBird & Bird has finally found a way into Germany and was set to vote last week on plans to take onformer Wessing chairman Wolfgang von Meibom and a group of partners from Andersen Luther.As revealed by Grapevine, the weekly email news service on www.thelawyer. com/lawyernews, asuccessful vote would give the firm an office in Düsseldorf and its first presence in Germany.The move would see the former Wessing group, currently at Andersen Luther, including Meibom,energy and competition partner Jan Byok and IT partners Christian Harmsen and Felix Rödiger,move to Bird & Bird.They would be joined by corporate and M&A partner Alexander Schroder-Frerkes, who is also aformer Wessing partner, but who left Andersen at the beginning of June to set up on his own.The former Wessing partners already have strong links with Bird & Bird, which has had a referralrelationship with Wessing in the past.Bird & Bird has been looking to move into Germany for some time, but up until now it has not beensuccessful in finding the right people. It is understood to be looking to set up a full-service firm witha technology sector focus.The Andersen Luther partners would fit well with Bird & Bird. Meibom is one of the best-known ITlawyers in Germany, while Byok also has a focus on IT work.It is understood that Bird & Bird wants to model its German practice on its other internationaloffices.To date, 40 per cent of its partners are based outside of the UK and it has offices in Paris, TheHague, Stockholm, Hong Kong and Brussels.All the offices offer full service capability but also have a strong technology sector focus.The departures from Andersen Luther come as it finalises its merger with the German arm of Ernst& Young.It is the second time the group of partners have moved in the last year. In May 2001 Meibom leftWessing Luther for Andersen Luther following dissension over whether it should merge with anAnglo-Saxon firm. He was followed by Byok, Schroder-Frerkes, Harmsen and Rödiger.Wessing is expected to announce its merger with UK firm Taylor Joynson Garrett this week.

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