Osborne Clarke admits Christoph Kauffmann, Ann Kristin Lochmann, Elisabeth Macher and Alexander Schlicht to the partnership

Osborne Clarke will admit Christoph Kauffmann, Ann‑Kristin Lochmann, Elisabeth Macher and Alexander Schlicht to the partnership with effect from 1 January 2026. This strengthens the firm’s expertise in Disputes & Risk, Tax, IP and Employment and the firm has a total of 78 Partners across its four German offices in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne and Munich.

“The appointment of our four new partners is a strong sign of our growth trajectory – professionally, sectorally and culturally. All four stand for excellent client work, entrepreneurial thinking and active collaboration across practice boundaries in our major sectors. With their expertise in disputes/TMC, transaction tax/venture capital, IP/data and employment/TMC, they strengthen precisely those areas that are important to our clients in the digital and sustainable transformation. I am very much looking forward to further developing our services together."

Nicolas Gabrysch, Managing Partner of Osborne Clarke Deutschland.

Christoph Kauffmann has been at Osborne Clarke’s Cologne office for eleven years and primarily advises tech and IT companies in civil and arbitration proceedings. He has extensive in-house experience from two secondments as well as a role as legal counsel. As a Partner, he will further expand the TMC Disputes area and strengthen related advice in Cologne.

Ann Kristin Lochmann is a tax adviser and certified specialist in international tax law. She joined the firm’s Tax practice as Counsel in 2023 and specialises in tax advice in a transactional context. Her focus areas include add-on and exit transactions, transactions in renewable infrastructure, the structuring of employee participation schemes, and tax advice to start-ups, scale-ups and VC funds. As a Partner, she will further drive integration between the Corporate/VC and Tax practice groups.

Elisabeth Macher joined Osborne Clarke in 2020 and advises on unfair competition law as well as at the interface with IP/Data. Her work includes proceedings to enforce data access claims, including several proceedings before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) and subsequent national proceedings. She also advises on EU law issues relating to the Data Act. In the Mobility & Infrastructure sector, she advises on connected vehicles, autonomous driving, and e- and shared mobility. With her appointment to the partnership, Osborne Clarke strengthens its IP practice and its advice on digital transformation in the automotive sector.

Alexander Schlicht has been part of Osborne Clarke’s Employment team since 2016. He advises companies on all employment and labour law issues, focusing on restructurings and co-determination. A particular focus is advising international IT and tech companies, especially from the games industry. As Counsel, he spent 18 months in Osborne Clarke’s New York office, supporting the firm’s international business development. As a Partner, he will further expand the firm’s employment advice across locations in bigger projects and transactions as well as strengthen international collaboration with US clients.