McDermott Will & Schulte has hired investment funds partner Olena Tokman from Linklaters to strengthen its German investment management practice.
Tokman will be based in Frankfurt, and brings a practice spanning private equity, private debt, real estate and infrastructure.
She advises domestic and international investors, asset managers and fund sponsors on investment funds and other regulated investment products, as well as their structuring, establishment and marketing.
Tokman arrives after seven years at Linklaters, making partner in 2023, having previously served as counsel. Prior to that she headed the legal department of a German capital management company for three years and spent five years at Hogan Lovells and one year at legacy Shearman & Sterling.
Matthias Kampshoff, McDermott’s managing partner in Germany, said: “Since our merger with Schulte Roth & Zabel last year, we have one of the largest and most respected investment management practices in the world. Further expansion of our well-established German investment management practice is therefore at the top of McDermott’s strategic agenda.”
Frank Müller, managing partner of the Frankfurt office and himself a seasoned investment management partner, added: “Our goal is to provide our clients with comprehensive one-stop advice on setting up and investing in funds on a national and international level. With Olena, we are gaining an outstanding expert in investment law.”
Tokman’s hire follows other appointments in Europe, with the arrivals of Oliver Sutter in Frankfurt, Kalish Mullen in Paris, Vincenzo Giannantonio in Milan and Lisa Göransson in London.
Harris Siskind, global head of McDermott’s transactions practice, said: “Olena’s arrival further strengthens our ability to deliver sophisticated, cross-border advice to clients across our global platform. Her experience deepens our private capital capabilities in Europe and reinforces our commitment to strategic growth in key markets.”
Her departure from Linklaters follows a five-partner promotions round for the Magic Circle firm in Germany across corporate and M&A, private capital and adjacent regulatory disciplines. Martin Rojahn was promoted in capital markets and Julia Rupp in private capital, both in Frankfurt, where four of the five partners were elevated. The remainder were in IP and litigation, with one competition partner – Kaan Gürer – promoted in Düsseldorf.
In addition to the partner promotions, Linklaters announced a record nine new counsel in Germany, including John Hunt, a US corporate and M&A lawyer; Rowina Ullner, specialising in capital markets; and Dominik Wegener and Geesa de Vries, both focusing on corporate and M&A.
In May last year, the firm appointed Munich-based Johannes Disttrich as head of risk advisory to strengthen crisis management, internal investigations and regulatory compliance. Linklaters was approached for comment.
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