Greenberg Traurig (GT) has hired teams from US rival McDermott Will & Emery and boutique Ehlers to open its second German base, in Munich. 

The new office – the US firm’s 49th globally – will open on 1 February and focus on private equity, healthcare and life sciences work, GT said in a statement. 

The office will be led by former McDermott partner Stephan Rau, who will serve as Munich office managing shareholder and chair of GT’s European healthcare practice. He joined the firm’s corporate practice last November from McDermott, where he was chair of that firm’s European health law practice.

A further four lawyers are set to join the office at the start of next month from McDermott, including corporate shareholder Björn Biehl and Sylvia Petereit-Kemter, who will be a local partner in GT’s government law and policy practice. Rounding out the group is a corporate senior associate and a corporate associate. 

The firm has also hired a quartet of lawyers for the launch from specialised medical law and life science boutique Ehlers Ehlers & Partners. Christian Rybak will serve as chair of healthcare and life sciences Germany and join GT’s government law and policy practice alongside local partner Julian Bartholomä and a pair of associates.  

GT’s executive chairman, Richard Rosenbaum, said the opening underscored the firm’s focus on private equity and commitment to strengthening its presence in key markets and industries. 

Christian Schede, founding chairman Germany, added: “In the last 10 years, we have doubled in size in Berlin. With the second German office in Munich, we are tapping further growth potential. With private equity and healthcare as well as life science, we continue to focus consistently on growth industries.”

GT said the hires meant it would have a total of 15 lawyers forming an integrated healthcare and life sciences team across Germany, and would “significantly strengthen” its healthcare and private equity practices in that country. 

“Together with the existing team, including shareholders Viola Bensinger and Henrik Armah, the team includes a total of five partners and 10 associates, forming a specialised German team of lawyers for healthcare, life sciences, regulation, compliance and transactions,” the firm said. 

Meantime, its German private equity team, led by Berlin office managing shareholder Peter Schorling and Armah, will grow to a total of six shareholders and 12 associates.

For his part, Rau advises private equity and strategic investors, healthcare providers, pharmaceutical and medical technology companies and government agencies on private equity investments and M&A transactions, as well as on approval and reimbursement procedures. His main areas of focus are M&A transactions in the healthcare and life science sector, medical and healthcare law, and related compliance issues.

Rybak advises national and international companies, physicians, professional associations and government authorities and organisations on issues of commercial, medical and life sciences law. His clients include pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers, food and cosmetics manufacturers. In addition to market access, reimbursement and health policy issues, his areas of focus also include aspects of competition and antitrust law, such as the law on the advertising of medicinal products, the design of corporate law models, and strategic and regulatory legal advice.

Biehl advises clients on national and international M&A and private equity transactions, corporate restructurings and insolvency with a focus on distressed M&A, as well as on all aspects of general corporate law.

News of the launch follows GT upping turnover 6% to $2.3bn in 2023, the 10th consecutive year of record revenue for the 2,700-lawyer firm and a figure that earned it 14th place on the Am Law 200 ranking. 

The firm also expanded its Latin America network last September with an office launch in São Paulo, Brazil – its second in the region after Mexico City.

A McDermott spokesperson commented on the moves: “We thank the lawyers for their contributions and wish them all the best in their future endeavours. We remain committed to our robust international and German health and life sciences practice."