Global law firm Goodwin announced today that Gregor Klenk will join the firm’s Private Equity practice as a partner in the Frankfurt office. Klenk will join Goodwin from Latham & Watkins, where he is a partner. The firm also announced today the appointment of private equity partner Joshua Soszynski in its New York office.

Klenk’s practice spans mergers and acquisitions, private equity, growth equity, venture capital and corporate law. He brings special expertise in cross-border transactions, in particular involving U.S. and French clients and targets.

“Goodwin’s global strategy is to be a dominant player across the financial, life sciences, private equity, real estate and technology industries,” said Stephan Kock, Chair of Goodwin’s Frankfurt office. “In Frankfurt, we have successfully focused on building out our real estate and private equity practices as part of the firm’s market-leading international offering. We are thrilled to continue building our German practice with a renowned partner like Gregor.”

Klenk joins Goodwin’s private equity partner Lars Jessen, who was among the founding partners of the Frankfurt office.

“Goodwin’s depth and breadth of experience at the intersection of the global private equity and technology sectors provide a perfect platform for my practice,” said Klenk. “After spending a great 15 years with Latham & Watkins, I look forward to partnering with Lars as we expand Goodwin’s private equity and venture capital offering in the German market.”

Goodwin’s Frankfurt office opened in early 2016 with a group of four partners. Today, the office has nearly 30 lawyers across the Private Equity, Real Estate Industry and Tax practices. Clients include Capital D, Gramercy Europe and Castlelake, among others. Last year, the office advised on the €1.6 billion joint venture between Medical Properties Trust and Primonial Group. The Frankfurt office is core to Goodwin’s European network, which today includes 100 lawyers in London and approximately 50 in Paris.

“Every company, even one not selling ‘technology’, is now significantly technology-enabled and dependent,” said A.J. Weidhaas, Co-Chair of Goodwin’s Private Equity practice. “From an investor perspective, it is no longer good enough to just understand how to execute a venture or a private equity deal. Rather, investors are looking for lawyers who understand technology and how it impacts the viability of a target investment. This is the kind of a lawyer that Gregor is, and we are pleased that he has chosen to join our firm.”

Goodwin has more than 500 lawyers focused solely on the technology, life sciences, and private equity verticals globally. The firm consistently ranks at the top of the private equity and technology league tables, including its current first place ranking for technology M&A transactions in North America, as reported by Bloomberg, and full-year 2018 Mergermarket rankings among the top three global buyouts and exits firms.

About Goodwin
At Goodwin, we partner with our clients to practice law with integrity, ingenuity, agility and ambition. Our 1,000-plus lawyers across the United States, Europe and Asia excel at complex transactions, high-stakes litigation and world-class advisory services in the technology, life sciences, real estate, private equity, and financial industries. Our unique combination of deep experience serving both the innovators and the investors in a rapidly-changing, technology-driven economy sets us apart. To learn more, visit us at www.goodwinlaw.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.