On 16 July 2018, the partners of King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) appointed Frankfurt Partner Rüdiger Knopf as Partner in charge for Germany. Rüdiger takes up the position with immediate effect and for a term of three years.
Rüdiger Knopf is one of the leading advisors in the area of tax structuring and specialises in the structuring of M&A and buyout transactions (including tax and financial structures). Rüdiger founded the German KWM practice together with three other partners in March 2017. Since then, the German team has grown significantly and has successfully established itself in the market.
The considerable growth includes, in addition to other employees such as counsels and associates, five important new partner additions within the last 16 months. In October 2017, the team grew with financing and restructuring expert Daniel Ehret as well as with partner Hui Zhao, who specializes in advising on M&A transactions relating to China. In November 2017, the expansion was successfully continued with the addition of the team around the two M&A and private equity specialists Dr. Michael Roos and Markus Herz. Recently, in March 2018, tax partner Markus Hill joined the German tax team of KWM. The addition of five partners within a short time demonstrates how strong the firm has already become in Frankfurt.
Commenting on his appointment Rüdiger said: “I am honoured to have been named Partner in charge and look forward to continuing in my new role together with our great partners and employees worldwide to advance the successful future of KWM in Germany, EUME as well as worldwide. The firm has enormous potential. We will continue to strengthen the German practice and exploit our opportunities both in the local market and internationally as a global top-tier law firm, focussing on private equity, M&A transactions as well as on finance. In addition to the already successful and close cooperation within KWM in China mainland, Australia and Hong Kong SAR, the focus is also on an even more intensive expansion of the cooperation with our KWM offices in EUME."
Wang Rongkang, EUME Managing Partner, added: “On behalf of the EUME partners, I congratulate Rüdiger on his appointment as Partner in charge for KWM Germany. As a long-standing tax partner of the firm and founding member of the German office, he brings a great blend of experience and commitment which the role demands. Together with his colleagues in Frankfurt, he has already considerably built up and expanded the German office within the past year. Therefore, I am convinced that he will make an outstanding Partner in charge and will optimally promote further strategic growth and intensified cooperation within the framework of our global KWM network."