News | Private Equity

Monday 14th May 2001

SJ Berwin announces the recruitment of three new partners to join SJ Berwin Knopf Tulloch Steininger. Thomas Pauls, Axel Pajunk and Alexander Rinne will be joining the firm's Munich office, to expand the firm's focus on its core European practice area of private equity and M&A and to add a new area of practice in the German business - EU and competition law.

These appointments follow the recent promotion of five partners in the Frankfurt office - Tobias Lenz, Frank Breitenoeder, William Panagiotides, Boris Schroer and Gerald Thomas.

Thomas Pauls
Thomas joins from Haarmann Hemmelrath & Partner, bringing experience in private equity buy-outs and corporate M&A. His appointment strengthens the firm's private equity buy-out and M&A team.

Axel Pajunk
Axel joins from Haarmann Hemmelrath & Partner and brings experience in corporate investment and M&A deals work. His appointment strengthens the firm's private equity investment and buy-out team.

Alexander Rinne
Alex joins from Bender Zahn Tigges, where he has worked as an EU and competition law specialist, to lead the development in Germany of the firm's practice in this area of law. Building on the strength of SJ Berwin's existing practice in London, Brussels and recently in Madrid, this capability enhances SJ Berwin's ability to handle corporate deals across the European region.

SJ Berwin's Senior Partner David Harrel commented:

"These appointments represent an important step in the development of SJ Berwin's business in the German market, where we currently have over 50 fee-earners including 22 partners."

SJ Berwin Knopf Tulloch Steininger name partner Dr Uwe Steininger commented:

"We are very happy that these partners joined us whom we have known for many years. They will strengthen and complement our private equity buy-out and investment teams in Munich. Within seven months, the Munich office will have grown from five to fifteen private equity buy-out, venture capital investment and private equity fund lawyers by mid-2001. There is no sign of any slowdown of this growth."

• Founded in 1982, SJ Berwin is a leading City corporate and commercial law firm with offices in London, Brussels, Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Madrid and Paris.
• Current awards held by the firm include 'Private Equity Law Firm of the Year' (awarded by the European Venture Capital Journal in 2001), 'Law Firm of the Year' and 'Property Team of the Year' (both won at The Lawyer Awards 2000), and 'Competition Team of the Year' (Legal Business Awards 2001).