Simmons expands real estate practice through Goodwin acquisition

Frankfurt office absorbs four-member partner team following strategic withdrawal of US competitor from German real estate market.

Strategic market consolidation after Goodwin exit

The British commercial law firm Simmons & Simmons is benefiting from the German market exit of its American competitor Goodwin and is taking over its entire real estate law division. Marc Bohne, Dr. Moritz Vettermann, Felix Krüger and Jochen Schnepper and their teams will strengthen the Frankfurt office, which will thus grow to 21 partners. The addition of new staff is the result of Goodwin's decision to close its German office, which only opened in 2016, and to discontinue its real estate business. Bohne was part of the founding team of the Frankfurt office at the time and is now returning with his colleagues to an established market player.

Specialized expertise for institutional investors

The transferred team covers the full spectrum of institutional real estate advice. Bohne (52) specializes in cross-border corporate real estate transactions including sales, acquisitions and joint ventures. Vettermann (40) focuses on private equity investments and portfolio structuring. Krüger (53) brings tax expertise for private equity and real estate transactions, while Schnepper (38) handles real estate financing for private equity companies, credit funds and institutional investors. This combination addresses all advisory aspects of complex real estate investments.

Aiming for global market positioning

The integration expands Simmons & Simmons' international real estate practice to over 75 lawyers worldwide. Bohne formulates ambitious goals: The firm wants to be the leading corporate real estate practice on the market. Joining Simmons & Simmons should make this positioning possible. The transaction will be completed within the next few weeks and demonstrates the ongoing consolidation in the German legal market. While US law firms are selectively rethinking their German presence, established European players are exploiting the emerging gaps in the market for organic growth. This development reflects the changing market dynamics: specialized real estate law teams are increasingly being attracted by law firms with stable local roots and international reach that can build long-term client relationships with institutional investors.