Pinsent Masons wins a fourth partner to its fledgling Düsseldorf office

Dr. Torsten Bergau, a corporate lawyer specialising in M&A - including private equity and joint venture transactions - joins the firm from Hoffman Liebs Fritsch & Partner. He is experienced in advising companies from a wide range of industries and will focus in particular on supporting clients in the energy and technology sectors. Standout transactions on which he has advised recently include the acquisition of alfi GmbH by Thermos, the world’s leading manufacturer of portable insulated food and beverage containers.

The appointment follows the recruitment of a three-partner team of energy and corporate specialists to launch the office. Dr. Thorsten M. Volz, Dr. Sönke Gödeke and Dr. Torsten Wielsch all joined from KPMG's German legal arm.

Pinsent Masons’ decision to launch a second office in Germany follows the success of its technology-focused practice in Munich in July 2012. Since opening in Germany the firm has trebled in size and acted on a number of standout mandates including the acquisition of fintech business IND by FTSE-listed MiSys and the disposal of mobile communications infrastructure  to Drillisch AG as a result of the Telefonica/e+ merger.

Last year Pinsent Masons appointed former head of IP at Clifford Chance in Munich Marc Holtorf, and former Fieldfisher Munich head Sibylle Schumacher. In January 2016, the Munich office also took on a team of capital markets specialists through the bolt-on of Mayrhofer + Partner.

Düsseldorf is the firm's 21st office and brings the total number of partners at Pinsent Masons to in excess of 400.

Rainer Kreifels, who leads Pinsent Masons in Germany and is a member of the global Board of the firm, says: "We said when we announced our intention to launch in Dusseldorf that we planned to make further appointments and Torsten’s arrival is evidence of that. He is a skilled lawyer of great pedigree and, together with the other founding partners in Dusseldorf, will help us to meet the needs of our clients particularly in the energy sector."

Legal 500 refers to Torsten as "excellent", JUVE magazine lists him as “often recommended” for M&A, and the financial paper Handelsblatt included him among Germany’s best lawyers in corporate law.