Osborne Clarke has announced its 2017/18 year-end financial results with income of EUR 41.7m for its German offices, a 4% increase on revenues in the previous year. The firm's total international revenue increased to EUR 273m.
Managing Partner Carsten Schneider: „Our international offices continue to grow dynamically, e.g. in Amsterdam, Paris or Stockholm. We are on a profitable growth track in Germany, with sales up to 10 % on average within the last five years.”
Osborne Clarke expands its activities in Berlin by moving to a new address in Schinkelplatz in April. At the beginning of the year, the firm bolstered its corporate and venture capital team with the appointment of transaction specialist, Robin Eyben. Further employees will follow.
„Legal tech“ in demand
The firm has offices in Berlin, Cologne, Hamburg, and Munich with more than 150 lawyers. Osborne Clarke Germany appointed IT expert Dr Marc Störing as Partner and nine Counsels from various sectors during the reporting period.
The firm was awarded Law Firm of the Year 2017 in IT and distribution and trade and logistics law at the Juve Awards 2017 and was also shortlisted for ‘Law Firm of the Year’ as well as for 'Best Law Firm' in the media and technology and competition law categories.
Osborne Clarke has set up a specific team to find efficient IT solutions. Lawyers initially grasp their clients’ business models and internal processes and analyse them to add valaue through legal technology solutions. The firm uses configurable data rooms as a collaboration platform and applies ThomsonReuters’ Contract Express“ for contract generation.
During the past year firm has had particularly high demand in the following areas:
- Digital transformation and data protection – The firm has had large number of enquiries regarding General Data Protection Regulation, smart energy and connected driving.
- Tech M&A transactions – The firm recently advised, e.g. ProSiebenSat.1 on the sale of weg.de, on the acquisition of von esome and on the meger with Aeria Games with Gamigo as well as Goodix Technology on the acquisition of Commsolid.
- Corporate Venture Capital – The firm recently advised, e.g. N26, Deutsche Bahn Digital Ventures, Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners, Arvato Financial Solutions and Klöckner & Co. SE and fintechs (figo).
- Trademark and unfair competition law – The firm has had large number of enquiries regarding the implementation of the EU Directive on the Protection of Trade Secrets.
International expansion
The firm has more than 1000 lawyers in 25 international offices and appointed 32 partners within the previous year. Osborne Clarke was the first EMEA firm to implement iManage with Microsoft Office 2016 and Windows.
The firm continued to target new international markets and in addition to opening in Sweden Osborne Clarke expanded in Asia by entering Mainland China and admitting new Shanghai-based firm, Zhang Yu & Partners, to its international network. The firm's relationship firm, BTG Legal, also opened an office in Bangalore.
US clients benefit from the constant expansion in continental Europe. International clients include, amongst others, Grifols, Huntsman, Facebook, Yahoo!, Vodafone and GoPro.
