Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP announced that prominent finance lawyer Dr. Ralf Defren joined the firm as a partner in the Frankfurt office.

With over 18 years of experience, Dr. Defren advises banks and financial institutions, as well as borrowers, on various types of financings and related corporate and regulatory issues. He has particular experience in the areas of corporate finance, real estate finance and securitizations.

“The addition of another finance partner will enable us to continue our work on substantial finance mandates and at the same time support more transactions in our core practices of private equity and M&A,” commented Georg Linde, managing partner of Willkie’s Frankfurt office. “His addition will also strengthen the base for further growth in these practices.”
“We have worked with Ralf on opposite sides of matters and got to know him as a great lawyer,” said Jan Wilms, partner and head of the German Finance Practice Group. “We look forward to working on deals together.”

""Willkie advises on some of the most high-profile transactions in the German market,” said Dr. Defren. “I look forward to being a part of this team.”

Willkie’s global finance practice complements our private equity, M&A, restructuring, capital markets, structured finance, real estate and tax groups to provide clients with the complete array of tools needed to achieve their goals. The German Finance Practice Group counsels clients on syndicated lending, leveraged and investment grade finance for senior and mezzanine providers and investment grade finance, corporate finance, debt restructuring, debt buy-back, growth and expansion finance, collateral and security issues, and structuring of debt and debt-like transactions including tax structuring and structuring of mezzanine finance.