Hamburg — Dr. Nils Koffka (55, photo) joins Allen & Overy ’s Hamburg office to head the German private equity prac­tice. The 55-year-old has spent his entire profes­sio­nal career at Fresh­fields Bruck­haus Derin­ger, and has been a part­ner since 1997.

He is one of the leading lawy­ers for advi­sing on billion-dollar private equity tran­sac­tions: With the move of Dr. Nils Koffka to Allen & Overy LLP, the law firm conti­nues to catch up with the market leaders in Germany. Nils Koffka joins the firm’s Hamburg office as a part­ner. Previously, he worked for Fresh­fields Bruck­haus Derin­ger, whose private equity prac­tice he played a key role in shaping over the years. Most recently, Nils Koffka confirmed his repu­ta­tion in the field of large cap tran­sac­tions by assis­ting BC Part­ners, which he has been leading for years, in connec­tion with the acqui­si­tion of Ceram­Tec (€2.6 billion) from Cinven. Other well-known names on his mandate list are Apollo or RHI.

The exact start date at Allen & Overy has not yet been determined.