UK firm Osborne Clarke has announced two new European offices as it seeks to expand its private market and funds offerings in the region.
The two new offices will be located in Frankfurt – its fifth in Germany – and Luxembourg, which the firm has identified as a leading financial centre within the European bloc amid growing client demand.
The Luxembourg office will be led by partners Anne‑Gaelle Delabye and Gerard Maitrejean, who both joined the firm on 1 September. Delabye arrived from the Luxembourg office of Ogier, where she had been a partner in the investment funds team, while Maitrejean was previously head of corporate at CMS’s office in the country.
Delabye will lead the office’s investment funds and regulatory group, while Maitrejean will lead the corporate and M&A group. Mathilde Ostertag and Nicolas Mille also join the office as partners, from AKD Luxembourg and VDB Law respectively.
The Frankfurt office will focus on small- and mid-cap private equity, M&A, finance, technology and corporate transactions and reorganisations. Partner Johannes Goossens will lead the firm in the German city. Goossens also joined Osborne Clarke on 1 September from White & Case, where he was a local partner in the global private equity and M&A practice, focused primarily on cross-border technology and finance-led deals.
The double move is a natural step for Osborne Clarke as it looks to further complement its European offering, which spans several countries, including Germany, France, Belgium and Italy.
Delaybe said: “We are trying to give both new and existing clients access to the Luxembourg platform, which is a leading centre for fund formation and restructuring, and make a link between fund structuring and downstream aspects.”
This will allow the firm to service the entire investment cycle for its clients as the region’s private markets continue to evolve and grow. Market conditions and the recent surge in interest in private credit make this a good time for the firm to offer this additional capacity, said Maitrejean.
He added the firm will develop its practice around these new offerings and that “it makes sense to do it now rather than waiting for competitors to do it first”.
The pair said that Osborne Clarke provided the ideal platform for them to continue to operate in Luxembourg and leverage their existing networks. The firm’s advanced use of artificial intelligence in its technology suite in particular stood out, including sophisticated investment tools and automated solutions.
Delabye added that the news is also positive for Luxembourg’s growing position as a financial and legal hub in Europe, and will allow it to build on initiatives such as the newly introduced securitisation framework.
The two openings take Osborne Clarke’s global office tally to 26. As well as in the UK and the rest of Europe, the firm has an established presence in the US, China and India.
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