Weil expands German private equity practice with team from Latham & Watkins
Weil, Gotshal & Manges has strengthened its private equity presence in Germany with the addition of a six-lawyer team from Latham & Watkins, as the U.S. firm accelerates plans to build a top-tier pan-European PE platform.
The hires include partners Sebastian Pauls and Susanne Decker (BOTH PICTURED), who join Weil alongside Andreas Holzgreve, Julia Schöfer, and two associates who previously worked with them at Latham. Holzgreve joins as partner, while Schöfer takes on the role of counsel.
Based in Munich, Pauls is a seasoned private equity lawyer who joined Latham in 2011 after stints at Clifford Chance and Sullivan & Cromwell. His deal sheet includes advising Allianz Capital Partners on its joint venture with Telefónica, and The Carlyle Group on its acquisition of GBTEC. At the end of the year, he will become co-managing partner of Weil’s German offices, taking over from Gerhard Schmidt, who is stepping down after more than 20 years in the role.
Decker, who will be based in Frankfurt, advises international private equity funds and portfolio companies on complex cross-border transactions. She joined Latham in 2015 from Clifford Chance, becoming partner five years ago. Her recent work includes advising Hg on several strategic investments, such as the acquisition of MediFox Group and an investment in Eucon, a leading automotive data services provider.
The latest arrivals bring Weil’s German partnership to 11 partners across Frankfurt and Munich, seven of whom focus on private equity. The move underscores Weil’s continued European expansion, coming after high-profile London hires earlier this year, including secondaries expert Simon Saitowitz from Ropes & Gray and infrastructure finance specialist Simon Caridia from White & Case.
