Milbank LLP is expanding its Capital Markets practice with the addition of renowned equity capital markets (ECM) expert Philipp Klöckner and team, strengthening its leading transactional practice in equity capital markets/initial public offerings (IPOs) and public takeovers. Philipp Klöckner joins the firm as a partner and will be resident in the Frankfurt office. He will be accompanied by further team members, including experienced ECM expert Nico Feuerstein who will join the firm as special counsel.
Philipp Klöckner and team specialize in capital markets transactions and public takeovers, as well as general capital markets, securities and corporate law advice. They have extensive experience in advising issuers, private equity and venture capital investors, as well as investment banks, on IPOs in Germany, other European jurisdictions and the United States (including dual-track transactions, SPACs and de-SPACs), rights offerings, accelerated placements of new and existing shares and block trades, as well as PIPE transactions and stock dividends. They also regularly advise on post-listing capital markets obligations and corporate governance issues, as well as on the preparation and conduct of shareholders’ meetings.
Recently, Philipp Klöckner and team advised, among others, HomeToGo on a de-SPAC transaction as well as SYNLAB, Cinven, Novo and OTPPB on the IPO of SYNLAB AG. In addition to regularly advising issuers and private equity investors on IPOs and dual-track exit transactions of portfolio companies, they have a long-standing experience in advising leading investment banks on capital market transactions.
With the addition of Philipp Klöckner, Milbank complements its expertise in providing comprehensive advice to both its listed and private equity clients, active in the German market, and expands its advisory services for successful companies on their way to an IPO to include the areas of prospectus preparation, approval and listing procedures in Germany.
At Milbank, the new arrivals join a team of ECM experts qualified and admitted in Germany and the United States, including renowned ECM partner David Dixter in London and accomplished corporate lawyer and capital markets expert Christoph Rothenfusser in Munich.
"The arrival of Philipp Klöckner is another significant step in the development of our German and international practice in a core area of our firm. Our goal is to advise our clients worldwide on all their major transactions. Capital markets law is an important component, which we are now strengthening and expanding in Germany with Philipp on board," said Milbank Chairman Scott A. Edelman.
Marcelo Mottesi, head of Milbank's Global Capital Markets Group, added: “The firm has a preeminent reputation for advising on innovative transactions across the full spectrum of capital markets products in Europe and globally. Philipp and his team have extensive experience working with leading private equity firms and their portfolio companies, public companies and investment banks on a variety of complex equity financings, and he will play an important role in the continued growth and success of our market-leading practice in Europe, the Americas and Asia.”
"The funds and the transactions of our private equity clients are getting bigger and bigger, and thus an IPO as a possible exit strategy is also playing an increasingly important role,” commented Milbank’s Corporate Group Global Head Norbert Rieger. “At the same time, our practice in the area of public takeovers as well as for IPOs of young companies, has grown strongly in recent years. The addition of Philipp Klöckner and his team and the resulting strengthening of our public M&A and Capital Markets practice is the next logical step in the development of our advisory scope. Philipp and team are the perfect addition to our German and international practice."
Launched in 2004, Milbank's German law practice has built a reputation for excellence in private equity, M&A, general corporate, capital markets, acquisition and general finance, restructuring, tax and antitrust. Recently, Milbank has advised well-known clients in Germany on a number of transactions, including digital automotive platform AUTO1, retail and services company Otto Group, software provider Personio, venture capital investor Allianz X and private equity investors such as EQT, General Atlantic, The Carlyle Group and CPPIB.
Following the move of Barbara Mayer-Trautmann (Finance) and Markus Muhs (M&A) to Milbank in January 2021 and the internal partner appointment of Leopold Riedl (M&A) at the beginning of 2022, the addition of Philipp Klöckner represents a further, strategically important reinforcement for Milbank in Germany.
Philipp Klöckner started his career in 2009 in the capital markets team of Sullivan & Cromwell in Frankfurt and joined Clifford Chance in Frankfurt as their German ECM partner in 2019.
