FGvW expands in Frankfurt with 6 new partners

Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partners (FGvW) is going to expand in Frankfurt. In December and January, four partners and two local partners from the Frankfurt office of ADVANT Beiten are joining the firm. They are: Gerrit Ponath, Katharina Hanson, Stefan Raddatz, Detlef Koch, Mario Riechmann, and Volker Szpak.

In total, FGvW has gained nine new partners and two new local partners for its offices in Berlin, Frankfurt, Freiburg, Cologne, Hamburg, and Düsseldorf this year.

Dr Gerrit Ponath (PICTURED LEFT) will be the first to join in December. He joins FGvW as partner. The specialist lawyer for inheritance law and tax law previously worked at ADVANT Beiten for over 18 years in the area of assets, succession, and foundations. Dr Ponath advises private individuals and entrepreneurs on issues of national and international asset and succession planning as well as tax structuring. Another focus of his work is providing comprehensive advice to foundations and associations on legal and tax issues, particularly in the area of non-profit law. He also acts as a litigator in commercial, inheritance, and tax law disputes.

Dr Gerrit Ponath will be accopanied by Katharina Hanson (PICTURED CENTER) and Stefan Raddatz (PICTURED RIGHT). Both will also advise as local partners in the areas of inheritance law, asset succession, foundation law, non-profit law, as well as association and federation law.

Katharina Hanson has extensive experience in advising and representing companies and private individuals in the areas of inheritance law, asset succession, foundation law, non-profit law, and association law.

Stefan Raddatz specializes in providing legal and tax advice to companies and private individuals on all matters relating to asset succession, inheritance law, foundation and non-profit law, as well as association and federation law. He also represents his clients in court.

At the beginning of 2026, the firm’s Frankfurt office will also be strengthened by 3 new partners in the areas of corporate/M&A, real estate and tax law, all of whom also come from ADVANT Beiten:

Dr Detlef Koch will advise clients in the area of corporate/M&A. He has many years of experience in corporate and transaction law. He specializes in particular in corporate and real estate transactions, board consulting, and corporate governance issues. He advises national and international clients on complex transaction law issues as well as on corporate restructuring and reorganization.

Dr Mario Riechmann advises national and international companies on all aspects of corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, and tax law. A particular focus of his work is providing legal support to companies in the initiation, structuring, and implementation of complex M&A transactions.

Volker Szpak, attorney and tax advisor, advises national and international clients on all matters of corporate law, real estate law, and national and cross-border transformations. One focus of his work is the legal and tax structuring of real estate transactions, both in share deals and asset deals. In addition, advising on classic corporate law issues and M&A transactions is one of his core competences, furthermore he provides support in managing and resolving shareholder disputes.

“We are extremely pleased to welcome these highly skilled and experienced colleagues and the expertise they will bring in their respective areas of law. This addition will enable us to further expand our range of consulting services in the Rhine-Main area and throughout Germany,” states FGvW managing partner Carsten Laschet. “With these new partners, who are clearly aligned with market needs, we are continuing our course of expanding our interdisciplinary teams with high-profile individuals, thereby strengthening our long-term position in the market.”

“We are very much looking forward to actively shaping the further development of FGvW’s Frankfurt office and thus contributing to the firm’s sustainable growth. The high level of professional expertise of our renowned colleagues across the entire spectrum of legal advice and the entrepreneurial culture of the firm have convinced us that we will offer our clients excellent advice here,” comments Dr Gerrit Ponath.