BCLP adds four partners in Frankfurt

BCLP adds four partners in Frankfurt

With the firm aiming for further expansion in Germany, the German practice grows to 60 lawyers

In order to drive its German growth, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP) has added four partners from DLA Piper in Frankfurt to the firm's real estate and insolvency team.

To provide their expertise in real estate finance, real estate and insolvency and restructuring, Dr Torsten Pokropp, Frank Schwem, Christian Lonquich and Mike Danielewsky have joined BCLP at the beginning of next month.

In addition to The Missouri-based firm's expansion into Paris, where the firm more than tripled its number of lawyers, the new hires reflect its focus on growing its international business in priority, high-growth areas.

According to BCLP co-chairs Lisa Mayhew and Steve Baumer, this is a transformational move for our German presence. The new partners will serve as a catalyst for our growth plans in this area, and we look forward to working with them. In the next phase of our growth, we look forward to further growth in Germany where we see tremendous potential for a high level of growth."

Prior to joining DLA Piper as one of their senior associates from Clifford Chance's Frankfurt office, Pokropp was the head of the German finance and projects group. He became partner in 2015 after joining DLA Piper more than 10 years ago as a senior associate. The firm advises borrowers on new and existing real estate acquisitions, as well as sale of portfolios of loans and refinancing of existing ones. As well as project financing, he advises on power, wind, and infrastructure financing.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Schwem served as global co-chair of DLA Piper's financial services team for almost a decade before joining as a partner in 2010. His services include the sale of loan portfolios, refinancing, and debt add-on structures for real estate acquisitions and developments. Additionally, he works on ECA financings as well as project and acquisition financings in the paper and pulp, wind, power, and pipeline sectors.

At the same time, real estate partner Lonquich has expertise in large and complex transactions for the firm, such as forward deals, sale and lease backs, and other complex transactions. As well as consulting on workout issues, he deals with complex loan portfolios, including acquisitions and liquidations. The firm's managing director of legal and restructuring, he who joined DLA Piper six years ago, is a partner of the firm. His earlier experience at Clifford Chance coincided with Pokropp's and Schwem's stints at the firm in Frankfurt.

A restructuring and insolvency partner, Danielewsky, advises companies, executive bodies, banks, investment companies, and funds on internal and external restructuring strategies, inside and outside of insolvency proceedings.

As well as managing distressed loans for creditors, he is also involved in the sale and acquisition of distressed loan portfolios, as well as the restructuring of syndiced loans and securitized transactions for banks and investors. After serving as a partner with the Frankfurt office of French law firm Salans, he joined DLA Piper in 2013.

With the quartet's arrival, BCLP's employee headcount in Germany to 60, including lawyers in Berlin, Hamburg, and Frankfurt. Heiko Stoll joined Hong Kong-based GSK Stockmann as a tax partner in Frankfurt at the start of this year.

The BCLP head of real estate in Germany, Tina Siebenhaar, expressed her joy and pride in welcoming our new colleagues. Our together, we have developed one of the world's largest platforms in Germany, strengthening all aspects of our firm's advisory services."

For the firm's Germany and worldwide operations, the real estate practice has "great strategic significance" according to Carsten Bremer.

He stated that clients are in need of advice particularly in these uncertain times.

In addition to corporate and finance transactions and litigation and investigations, BCLP has constructed three key groups as part of its Project Advance strategy. Following the survey conducted with management consultancy McKinsey in October 2020, the firm announced the project in an effort to strengthen its existing core practice areas and optimize its organizational structure to accelerate growth.

After adding seven in-house real estate professionals from CMS toward the end of 2020, and a year later, it acquired a litigation and investigations team from White & Case.

Since the beginning of 2021, its private client group has ejected several new firms, including Taylor Wessing in London and Harrison & Held in US trust and estates firm.

While that has been the case, Dubai-based partner Raza Mithani has left the firm to establish his own business in dispute resolution and investigation.

After adding veteran real estate partner Simon Pollock from Addleshaw Goddard in London, Reed Smith also announced this month that that it would hire structured finance partner Tariq Zafar Rasheed from BCLP earlier this month.