International law firm Simmons & Simmons has opened a new office in Luxembourg, headed by Partner Stéphane Ober, who joined the firm in November 2014.
The Luxembourg team includes four additional new partners and a team of eight associates.
The four partners, who joined the firm on 01 January 2015, are:
Louis-Maël Cogis who has acted for some of the largest international investment banks in both capital markets and international banking matters. He has particular expertise on issues of debt securities, securitisation transactions, syndicated lending and leveraged acquisition finance.
Viviane De Moreau d'Andoy who has more than 15 years’ experience in Luxembourg advising on all investment funds related matters including the corporate and regulatory aspects of structuring, creating and distributing of funds. She specialises in traditional asset funds such as UCITS, Part II and SIF funds as well as funds investing in IP rights.
José Ignacio Pascual Gutiérrez who has extensive experience across Europe and specialises in investment funds formation work advising domestic and foreign clients on matters relating to the structuring, setting-up and organisation of regulated and non-regulated alternative investment funds (AIF).
Pierre-Régis Dukmedjian who has particular expertise in the tax aspects of mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, reorganisations, investment funds and real estate and in international taxation planning and due diligence. He regularly advises large multinational private equity and real estate groups, and high net wealth individuals.
The new office will be located on the Boulevard Royal, at the heart of Luxembourg’s financial and business district.
Simmons & Simmons’ Managing Partner Jeremy Hoyland, says: ‘‘The opening of our Luxembourg office is a great start to the year with a new team established and integrated into the firm. The feedback from our clients since we announced our intention to open in this jurisdiction has been extremely positive. As our latest international offering to clients in our market-leading practices in Asset Management and Financial Institutions, we look forward to many more positive developments in the year ahead.”
Colin Leaver, partner and head of the firm’s Asset Management sector group, added: “Our strong client base within these sectors has welcomed the benefits our opening in Luxembourg brings and many have already engaged on a number of matters. The strength and depth that this new team brings offers an excellent opportunity to address the needs of our clients by building upon our existing offering.”
The announcement comes during a period of rapid expansion for Simmons & Simmons, which in 2014 opened in Riyadh as part of the firm’s alliance in Saudi Arabia, opened its specialist trademark practice in Beijing, and announced a new alliance in Africa last year. Between 2012 and 2013, the firm opened offices in Bristol, Munich and Singapore.
