Willkie Farr & Gallagher opens Hamburg office, expanding German footprint

With approximately 25 lawyers at launch, the new Hamburg office becomes Willkie’s 16th global location and further deepens its presence in the German legal market. The firm already operates in Frankfurt and Munich, and has nearly tripled its German headcount to 90 lawyers over the past five years.

Strategic growth across practice areas

The Hamburg team will include a mix of high-profile hires and core practice leaders.

Dr. Jörn Kowalewski and Dr. Ulrich Klockenbrink, Co-Chairs of the German Restructuring Group, lead the new office alongside partners Dr. Hendrik Hauke and Dr. Jan-Philipp Praß, who joined from Latham & Watkins in 2024 as part of an 11-lawyer restructuring team.

Prof. Rüdiger Lahme and Prof. Andreas Ruster, two top-tier cartel litigation specialists from Quinn Emanuel, will also be based in Hamburg, supported by members of their litigation team.

The new office will also host lawyers focused on corporate transactions, enhancing the firm's private equity and M&A reach in Northern Germany.

Hamburg: A natural next step

“Opening in Hamburg, home to major corporates including existing Willkie clients, further expands our practice offerings in the region and enables us to better serve clients worldwide,” said Willkie Chairman Thomas Cerabino. He emphasized the firm’s broader strategy of geographic and practice-based expansion across Europe. Germany Managing Partners Georg Linde and Kamyar Abrar added: “Our platform continues to be one of the most dynamic in Europe. We are thrilled to continue this growth and are excited for what is to come.”

A competitive legal market

With this move, Willkie joins a select group of AmLaw 100 firms operating in Hamburg, a key German business and litigation hub. Competitors with a presence in the city include Hogan Lovells, DLA Piper, White & Case, Latham & Watkins, Quinn Emanuel, and Norton Rose Fulbright.

In recent years, Willkie has also broadened its German legal offering with the launch of capital markets, real estate, employment, financial regulation, and compliance practices—each headed by leading practitioners in their fields. The Hamburg opening positions Willkie to further capitalize on cross-border mandates, particularly in restructuring and complex litigation, while reinforcing its ability to serve global clients with business interests in Northern Germany.