Allen & Overy has strengthened its German Corporate and M&A practice with the appointment of Dr Hans Diekmann as a partner in its Düsseldorf office.
Dr Hans Diekmann will join the firm from Shearman & Sterling where he has been a partner since 1999. The precise starting date is yet to be determined.
“Hans Diekmann is acknowledged as one of the leading corporate/M&A specialists in Germany. His decision to join Allen & Overy is yet another proof of the fact that our firm is among the top German corporate/M&A practices,” says Dr Neil George Weiand, Senior Partner of Allen & Overy Germany.
Hans Diekmann primarily advises on aspects of corporate law, capital markets and M&A transactions. Before joining Shearman & Sterling, he had worked in the legal department of Deutsche Bank’s headquarters in Frankfurt for more than seven years. “He will make a great contribution to strengthening our corporate practice,” says Dr Helge Schäfer, head of the German corporate/M&A practice.
Hans Diekmann’s move also is an important step in developing the Düsseldorf office, where six partners will then work together with their teams. In 2010 and 2011, respectively, Dr Christian Eichner and Dr Jan Schröder, two renowned corporate-law experts of the younger generation had joined Allen Overy’s Düsseldorf office.
Regarding the motivation for his move, Hans Diekmann states: “My move is a decision for Allen & Overy, a dynamically developing firm that has very high quality standards and an impressive international platform.“
Andrew Ballheimer, head of the global Corporate and M&A practice of Allen & Overy, says: “Our aim is to develop a truly leading corporate / M&A practice across all key global markets. Hans joining our firm will be a major step towards achieving this aim in Germany.“
