Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) has added a trio of lawyers from A&O Shearman and Maples & Calder to open an office in Luxembourg, ahead of its planned merger next year with US firm Kramer Levin. 

Joanna Pecenik Vergès d’Espagne, a funds specialist, and Marc Tkatcheff, a private capital and M&A lawyer, will join for the launch from A&O Shearman where they are currently counsel. Meantime tax expert Jean-Dominique Morelli will join from Maples & Calder, where he is a partner.

HSF said the decision to open in Luxembourg was driven by its commitment to strengthen capability and quality in the world’s key markets. 

“The key growth driver for us is investing in areas where our clients need us, building strong leading practices that excel in the relevant markets,” said Alison Brown, HSF’s executive partner, EMEA, UK and US. “Establishing a presence in Luxembourg and the hire of Joanna, Marc and Jean-Dominique, all highly regarded practitioners in the market, are testament to our targeted growth and continued commitment to the EMEA region.”  

Pecenik Vergès d’Espagne has more than 18 years of experience in asset management in Luxembourg, the US and France and as a former European Investment Fund Legal counsel. She advises fund sponsors on the structuring and operations of funds across the alternative asset spectrum and also has experience in fund financing, regulatory work and LP work. 

Meantime Tkatcheff has 16 years’ experience advising on corporate, direct lending and private equity matters such as M&A, joint ventures, financings and restructurings. He has deep experience working on Latin America matters having led the Luxembourg-Latin America desk at A&O Shearman.

Morelli has more than 18 years of experience as a corporate tax adviser in Luxembourg. He advises corporate clients and fund managers on comprehensive tax planning and structuring, particularly in M&A, reorganisations and joint ventures. 

The Luxembourg office will be HSF’s seventh in continental Europe after its bases in France, Italy, Belgium, Spain and Germany, where it has locations in Frankfurt and Düsseldorf. 

Mike Flockhart, HSF’s global co-head of corporate, pointed to Luxembourg’s status as an attractive financial centre and a hub for fund and broader corporate groups operating across Europe. 

“Having a presence there enables us to extend our European offering and provide greater support to our private capital clients on complex, cross-border deals,” he said. 

HSF plans to open the Luxembourg office in early 2025, subject to approval by the Luxembourg Bar. 

The firm has been investing significantly in private capital in recent years, including 26 partner promotions and 13 lateral hires in the past two years. Five of those hires were in Europe, including private equity and M&A partner Gregor Klink and leveraged finance partner Fritz Kleweta, who joined in Frankfurt from Goodwin Procter and Paul Hastings respectively. The firm has also hired private capital talent in Europe in Madrid, Milan and Paris. 

News of the HSF’s Luxembourg launch follows the firm announcing earlier this month that it planned to merge with New York-based Kramer Levin, a move that would hand it the US presence so desired by ambitious UK firms. 

The merger is set to go live at the start of next May – assuming it receives the 75% approval needed by the partnerships of both firms – and will create a firm with more than $2bn in revenue and 2,700 lawyers globally.