With effect from 1 January 2017, Gleiss Lutz has appointed two new partners: Dr. Martin Viciano Gofferje (corporate/M&A, Berlin) and Dr. Christian von Köckritz (competition/antitrust, Brussels). In addition, Dr. Ines Bodenstein (competition/antitrust, Stuttgart), Dr. Matthias Gärtner (corporate/M&A, Stuttgart), Dr. Carsten Klöppner (competition/antitrust, Stuttgart), Dr. Christian Mencke (corporate/M&A, Hamburg) and Dr. Andreas von Medem (employment, Stuttgart) have been promoted to the role of counsel. These additions underscore Gleiss Lutz’s commitment to organic growth in key areas.
“With their exceptional legal skills and commitment to innovation these seven lawyers make an outstanding contribution to our range of expertise,” said Prof. Dr. Michael Arnold, Co-Managing Partner at Gleiss Lutz. Dr. Alexander Schwarz, Co-Managing Partner, added: “The doors of our firm are always open to top young talent. We are very pleased to be able to appoint new partners and counsel who embody our Gleiss Lutz values.”
Dr. Martin Viciano Gofferje has in recent years assisted clients in complex national and cross-border M&A deals. He also advises on general corporate and capital markets matters. Among other things, he was a member of the Gleiss Lutz team that advised Valeo on its joint venture with Siemens, Blackstone on the acquisition of the Armacell Group and eBay on the sale of ViA-Online GmbH. Another key area of his practice is healthcare. Most recently, he advised Boehringer Ingelheim on a large-volume healthcare cooperation, as well as Leo Pharma on the acquisition of Astellas’ dermatology portfolio. Martin Viciano Gofferje further co-heads the firm’s Venture Capital Group and has significantly developed and expanded this area at Gleiss Lutz’s Berlin office. He assisted Gruner + Jahr with the acquisition of the start-ups Employour, webguerillas and LiquidM.
Dr. Christian von Köckritz advises on European and German antitrust law, in particular in connection with European merger control, cartel investigations and distribution cartel issues, as well as EU state aid and general European law. He has special expertise in conducting complex EU antitrust and merger control proceedings as well as proceedings before the EU courts in Luxembourg, thereby making a key contribution to Gleiss Lutz’s growing antitrust practice in Brussels. He was, among other things, a member of the Gleiss Lutz team that represented HeidelbergCement in merger control proceedings regarding the acquisition of a stake in the listed Italian company Italcementi S.p.A. On behalf of GEMA (German Society for Musical Performing and Mechanical Reproduction Rights) as well as the collecting societies PRS for Music (UK) and STIM (Sweden), he secured the clearance of the EU Commission for the formation of a joint venture to issue pan-European licences for online music services. He also obtained a landmark decision for HeidelbergCement before the European Court of Justice. Acting for Evonik Degussa, he was able for the first time to stop the publication of information from its leniency application in interim relief proceedings before the European Court of Justice.
Dr. Ines Bodenstein advises on German and European antitrust law, specialising in issues in connection with cartel proceedings, antitrust damages actions and distribution agreements, especially e-commerce. Ines Bodenstein has already represented well-known companies such as Siemens, Evonik Degussa and LEONI in cartel proceedings and assisted IVECO Magirus with the first collective damages settlement in Germany. Another key focus of her practice involves advising on compliance matters and internal investigations.
Dr. Matthias Gärtner advises on corporate law, specialising in stock corporation and corporate group law. He is part of the Gleiss Lutz team that is advising VW’s supervisory board in connection with the diesel issue. His clients also include Schaeffler and ZF Friedrichshafen. He was moreover involved in advising TUI’s supervisory board on the merger with TUI Travel plc, in providing extensive corporate advice to Ferrostaal on dealing with the legal consequences of worldwide compliance investigations and in assisting LEG Immobilien with its IPO.
Dr. Carsten Klöppner specialises in German and European antitrust law. He advises on cartel investigations and antitrust damages actions as well as on merger control. Carsten Klöppner assisted Daimler AG in connection with the European Commission’s antitrust proceedings regarding trucks and advised voestalpine AG on the rail cartel investigation initiated by the Federal Cartel Office as well as on the subsequent antitrust damages actions. In the area of private antitrust litigation, he also represented HeidelbergCement AG in connection with the defence of cartel damage claims. In addition, he also regularly advises on distribution law and compliance issues.
Dr. Christian Mencke specialises in corporate law. He also advises on M&A transactions and corporate litigation. Christian Mencke was part of the Gleiss Lutz team that advised the supervisory board of HRE on various corporate law and D&O liability matters. He assisted with the sale of the TV cable network operator PrimaCom to Tele Columbus as well as with the merger between the Swiss-based KABA Holding and the German DORMA Group to form the third largest security and access technology company in the world. He was also involved in Suhrkamp Verlag’s proceedings before the Federal Constitutional Court and advised the majority shareholders of Hapag-Lloyd AG in connection with the merger with the Chilean CSAV.
Dr. Andreas von Medem advises companies extensively on individual and collective employment law and represents them in proceedings before the labour courts. He also specialises in advising companies in connection with the conclusion or termination of service contracts with executive board members and managing directors. As part of a Gleiss Lutz team, Andreas von Medem advised, among others, TUI’s supervisory board on the merger with TUI Travel plc and Scholz AG on the acquisition of a stake by the Japanese trading group Toyota Tsusho Corporation. He also regularly represents companies in disputes about the distinction between employment subject to compulsory social security contributions and self-employment.
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