Reed Smith strengthens German corporate practice with Munich team hire from Dentons

The new arrivals bring substantial experience in mergers and acquisitions, private equity, venture capital, corporate restructuring and complex international transactions. Their work spans a range of industries, including transport, defence, technology and life sciences.

Mike Young, co-chair for Europe, the Middle East and Asia within Reed Smith’s global corporate group, described the hire as a significant development for the firm’s European practice. He noted that the team adds strong transactional expertise, cross-border experience and valuable client relationships that support the firm’s strategic ambitions.

With this addition, Reed Smith now counts 16 transactional lawyers across its German offices in Munich and Frankfurt. The incoming team is particularly recognised for its work on mid-market M&A deals, especially within the technology sector.

Thomas Strassner, who has spent the past decade at Dentons, previously worked at Orrick. His practice focuses on M&A, private equity and venture capital transactions, particularly in the technology, life sciences and defence sectors. Among his recent work, he advised German biotech company TQ Therapeutics on acquiring Juno Therapeutics, a subsidiary of Bristol Myers Squibb, and previously assisted Berlin-based healthcare start-up HiDoc Technologies with its merger with US company Mahana Therapeutics.

Richard Fagerer specialises in cross-border corporate matters, including M&A, venture capital, private equity and transport-related transactions. Qualified in the United States, he joined Dentons in 2017 after working at King & Wood Mallesons. His clients include multinational corporations, European investment funds, financial institutions and German mid-sized businesses.

Christopher Mayston advises on a broad range of transactions, including venture capital, private equity, M&A, banking and capital markets matters. He joined Dentons in 2016 from Orrick alongside Strassner and works with international investors, start-ups, growth companies and both listed and private businesses.

This move takes place against a backdrop of intense competition for experienced legal talent in Germany, particularly in specialist transactional areas. Both domestic and international law firms continue to compete for a limited pool of senior lawyers.

Recent activity in the market reflects this trend. Freshfields strengthened its private equity and M&A practice earlier this year by hiring four partners across Germany and Austria, following the departure of a senior team to Latham & Watkins. Meanwhile, Orrick recruited a four-lawyer M&A and private equity team from Norton Rose Fulbright in Munich late last year.

A spokesperson for Dentons confirmed that Strassner, Mayston and Fagerer are expected to leave the firm on 30 April 2026. The firm added that its German corporate and M&A practice remains robust, with around 40 professionals advising clients across the full spectrum of corporate law, including private equity and venture capital transactions.

Sophie Stevenard