Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW”) is delighted to announce that on 5 January 2021 it will be opening a new office in the German city of Düsseldorf as part of a major expansion of the firm’s German energy practice with the arrival of new Partners Dr Thorsten Volz and Dr Torsten Wielsch and a team of six other lawyers. All were previously at Pinsent Masons in Düsseldorf prior to joining WFW, where Thorsten Volz was both local Office Head and Head of that firm’s German Energy practice.

Thorsten Volz specialises in regulatory and M&A law in the energy and transport infrastructure sectors, with a strong focus on power plant projects and grid infrastructure as well as complex joint ventures. Torsten Wielsch is also an expert in the regulatory aspects of energy law and corporate law. He specialises in projects relating to the energy industry‘s transition towards a less carbon-driven electricity production and advises on all regulatory matters relating to grid fees and surcharges for energy intensive industries. The team also includes Of Counsels Dr Thomas Wölfl, who specialises in real estate and infrastructure and Dr Christoph Benedict who focusses on construction and projects, as well as Managing Associate Britta Wißmann who specialises in energy trading. The team also includes Senior Consultant Dr Alexander Loos, who has many years’ experience advising on project and plant constructions as well as in complex arbitration proceedings in the energy and infrastructure sector.

Germany does not have a single focal city for business comparable to London or Paris and Düsseldorf, as the de facto capital of German industry, offers major business opportunities. It is home to a large number of companies relevant to the firm’s broader energy and infrastructure offering, including telecoms, power and utility companies as well as banks and other insurance and financial institutions. This made the city the logical next location for WFW in Germany, especially given the strength of the firm’s finance offering.

WFW Managing Partner Lothar Wegener commented: “This is a transformational moment for WFW in Germany as the firm is not only welcoming two new Partners and their team but opening its fourth office in the country in the key centre of Düsseldorf. While WFW has long been recognised as one of the leading law firms in Germany for energy and infrastructure expertise, our focus has historically been on finance, M&A and projects-led. Thorsten Volz, Torsten Wielsch and their team joining us represents a major expansion of both our energy expertise and regulatory practice in Germany. I am delighted to welcome them both to the firm”.

Thorsten said: “WFW is the ideal platform from which Torsten and I can contribute to the continued growth and expansion of the service WFW provides across the energy sector. We especially look forward to establishing WFW Düsseldorf and working with our new colleagues in Germany and across the firm’s international network”.