YPOG expansion: Five-person PwC headhunt establishes VAT practice

The strategic team acquisition positions the firm for the growing demand for TCMS in the mid-market segment.

Strategic practice expansion through Big Four transfer

YPOG is strengthening its Hamburg office with the appointment of Maren Rau as an Associate Partner along with a team of four from PwC. The former director brings over 15 years of VAT expertise and international experience from London and New York. The transferred team includes Janco Herzig (Senior Associate, Hamburg), Fabrizio Apruzzese (Associate, Cologne) and the Tax Specialists Lukas Schmidt and Maxim Kotlov (both Cologne).

Digitization focus for compliance management

Rau's specialization in tax compliance management systems (TCMS) and process optimization addresses the growing digitalization requirements of clients. Maxim Kotlov complements the technological expertise as a certified SAP Application Accountant with AI application experience. Partner Andreas Kortendick emphasized the increasing compliance requirements: "The requirements continue to rise and VAT is linked to almost all business transactions in a company."

Target group expansion in the growth segment

The new practice focuses on family and growth companies as well as technology-oriented clients. Managing Partner Carola Rathke positions the acquisition as a "strategic further development" of the tax practice with a procedural and technological perspective.

Cross-location service integration

The team distribution between Hamburg and Cologne enables regional market development with uniform service quality. Herzig concentrates on litigation advice, Apruzzese on advising SMEs and international tax law. This expansion establishes YPOG as a dedicated VAT practice for the first time and signals the strategic focus on compliance-intensive areas of advice in the German legal market.