Global law firm is expanding its EU presence with the opening of a third office in Germany 

Global law firm K&L Gates LLP is expanding its European presence with the opening of a Munich office, the firm’s third office in Germany (along with Berlin and Frankfurt) and 46th worldwide, with the hire of investment management partner Dr. Hilger von Livonius. Dr. von Livonius is accompanied by two other professionals — Dr. Philipp Riedl and Michael Harris — in his move to K&L Gates from King & Wood Mallesons. K&L Gates’ Munich office is expected to continue to grow in the coming months.

With approximately 20 years of experience, Dr. von Livonius concentrates his practice in the areas of banking, capital markets, asset management, and regulatory matters with a particular focus on investment funds and structured products. His practice includes advising financial institutions on the issuance of financial products and institutional investors on real estate and alternative investments.

“We welcome Hilger von Livonius, an experienced and respected capital markets and investment management lawyer, to K&L Gates,” stated Dr. Rüdiger von Hülst, administrative partner of K&L Gates’ German offices. “With the addition of his highly skilled team, we take an important step in the continued expansion of both of our German and broader European investment management practices.”

The 11th new partner or of counsel addition to K&L Gates’ growing investment management practice worldwide in the past 12 months, Dr. von Livonius’ arrival reflects one of K&L Gates’ top strategic priorities both in Germany and globally in the further development of its leading investment management practice. More than 150 of K&L Gates’ lawyers around the globe currently advise in that practice, one of the largest and most experienced of its kind.

Dr. von Livonius commented: “We are pleased to have found a firm which provides us an excellent platform for future growth in the areas of structured products, investment funds, and derivatives. K&L Gates allows us to work as part of a large investment management team with a strong focus on the United States.”

The trio follows fellow investment management partner Dr. Till Fock, who joined K&L Gates from King & Wood Mallesons in 2014.

Marking K&L Gates’ eighth office in Europe, the Bavarian capital of Munich is known as one of the world’s top locations for the private equity, venture capital, intellectual property, and patent law areas, and is home to more blue-chip companies than any other German city. In addition to helping to grow the firm’s German investment management practice, the launch of the Munich office also will allow K&L Gates to expand its services in such other areas as corporate, IT, and IP litigation.

“Munich is a remarkable city and one of Germany’s most influential commercial centers, an outstanding location for further growth, and an ideal complement to our K&L Gates offices in Germany,” continued Dr. von Hülst.

K&L Gates first entered the German market in early 2007 with the launch of its Berlin office. Two years later, the firm expanded its German operations with the addition of a Frankfurt office. The approximately 70 lawyers in the firm’s German practice offer clients a broad array of legal services, including corporate/M&A, private equity, investment management, banking (including banking regulation law) and complex financings, insolvency and restructuring, real estate, telecoms, media and technology (TMT), IP, IT, public procurement, antitrust and trade, tax, private clients, employment, (international) dispute resolution, and equipment leasing.

K&L Gates’ German investment management group counsels fund managers on open and closed funds, supports clients in various fund structures, and supports institutional investors, prosperous private clients, and single and multiple family offices on portfolio development and investments. Globally, the firm’s investment management practice has been recognized with rankings in a number ofChambers and Legal 500 regional guides and as a National Tier 1 practice in the U.S. News-Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” survey for each of the past six years, with K&L Gates also being the first law firm to be inducted in the Mutual Fund Industry Awards Hall of Fame in 2014.

Source: K&L Gates

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