Freshfields has hired a private equity partner from Hengeler Mueller in Germany, as the firm continues to rebuild its Germany bench following the defection of four senior private equity partners to Latham & Watkins late last year.
Daniel Möritz has joined the firm after 14 years at Hengeler Mueller, where he advised clients including EQT, PAI Partners and Siemens.
Möritz advises industrials, insurers and private equity investors on international and often regulated transactions. Admitted to the German and New York bars, he has worked at Hengeler in Düsseldorf, London and, since 2017, Munich.
Patrick Cichy, Freshfields’s global co-head of M&A and capital, said Möritz’s expertise “aligns perfectly with what our clients expect from us on challenging transactions”.
Arend von Riegen, co-head of private capital, added that his PE experience would be a “real asset” to the firm.
His hire continues the rebuild of Freshfields’ German bench after the firm was left facing a lack of PE rainmakers in the German market following the defection of a four-partner team led by former continental Europe managing partner Markus Paul to Latham last December.
The group’s exit came amid industry speculation about the balance of Freshfields’ global strategy, given the firm’s focus on US growth – underscored by top-tier hires from Wall Street rivals.
In January, the firm hired private equity partner Florian Sippel in Munich from Kirkland & Ellis, alongside promoting three of its lawyers to partner in its PE and M&A practice across Germany and Austria. The firm promoted a further four lawyers to the partnership in Germany across its global transactions practice as part of a 47-strong global round in May.
Earlier this week, Freshfields boosted its Madrid private equity team with another hire from a leading independent law firm. Pablo González Mosqueira joined from Pérez-Llorca to lead its Madrid-based private capital team.
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