Carsten Schneider, German Managing Partner, comments: “The significant contributing factors for our success are our international expansion, our focus on sector-specific business development, our great expertise in technology-oriented advice, and our growing reputation as law firm for transactions.”
Osborne Clarke won several new clients in the past year and advised on complex mandates such as the restructuring of Deutsche Forfait AG, including an innovative debt-to-equity swap from authorized capital for a part of the existing bond, and Dixons Carphone on its sale of The Phone House to Drillisch. Osborne Clarke is one of the leading law firms in the mid-cap M&A area (value of up to USD 500 million). The firm has also advised Indus Holding and TÜV Rheinland on transactions this year.
One additional factor for the firm’s recent successes has been the partners who joined Osborne Clarke in the past year: Dr. Flemming Moos (IT) and Carsten Dau (Commercial) in Hamburg and Dr. Andrea Schmoll (IP) in Cologne. The firm is looking to grow all its German offices: Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne and Munich. It has currently about 125 lawyers in Germany.
Internationally, Osborne Clarke has increased its turnover about 15 per cent to EUR 195 million; the turnover has increased around 60 per cent over the past three years. The firm recently opened an office in Amsterdam and started a strategic cooperation with John Koh & Co., a newly established law firm in Hong Kong.