New York, NY, February 7, 2025 -- Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP announced today that prominent litigators Rüdiger Lahme and Andreas Ruster will join the Firm on February 10 as partners in Germany.

Dr. Rüdiger Lahme is a top-ranked litigation attorney known for handling complex national and international civil litigation matters at all levels of judicial proceedings. Dr. Andreas Ruster is widely recognized for his experience in handling high-stakes disputes for clients across a range of sectors, including taking more than 100 cases to trial in many German courts and the European Court of Justice. They both have broad litigation experience with a focus on antitrust and general commercial litigation. Rüdiger and Andreas will join from Quinn Emanuel.

Willkie’s Germany team has welcomed several partners in the areas of private equity and restructuring this past year. The Firm has approximately 90 lawyers based there today.

Georg Linde, Managing Partner of Germany, commented: “Rüdiger and Andreas are talented and results-driven litigators who are known for their exceptional track record and commitment to achieving their clients’ goals. Their skills and experience will be valuable to our work in the region and worldwide and we look forward to welcoming them to our growing team in Germany.” “Rüdiger and Andreas have significant commercial and antitrust litigation experience which will strengthen our top-tier litigation and arbitration practice in Germany, and complement the collaborative, cross-office work of our teams practicing across Europe and the U.S.,” added Matthias Schrader, partner in Willkie’s Litigation Practice Group in Germany.

Rüdiger commented: “Willkie is known for its top-ranked global litigation platform and collaborative approach to client matters, which align with our practice goals and our client needs. We look forward to working alongside our new colleagues in Germany and across the Firm to help guide clients through their most critical disputes.”

Rüdiger’s practice is focused on national and international civil litigation, including those involving antitrust and competition matters. Rüdiger has broad courtroom experience, appearing before almost all German district and appellate courts, and has been involved in some of the largest proceedings for private antitrust enforcement in Germany. He has received numerous accolades for his work, including top-tier rankings in national and international legal directories for litigation, dispute resolution, arbitration and competition. Rüdiger serves as a professor of business law and lecturer on competition and regulation at various German universities.

Andreas represents clients throughout the entire lifecycle of a dispute, from developing a (national or international) strategy to out-of-court discussions, court/arbitration proceedings, settlement negotiations and execution. He has significant experience representing plaintiffs and defendants in high-profile antitrust litigation, as well as in numerous commercial, corporate, restructuring, technology and IP litigation disputes. In addition, Andreas is a professor in international business law at PFH Göttingen, and has authored numerous articles and book chapters on various aspects of dispute resolution.

Rüdiger and Andreas practice in Hamburg and will be attached to the Firm’s Frankfurt office. Willkie Germany focuses on a wide range of practices including Private Equity, M&A, Insurance Transactions, Labor & Employment, Restructuring, Litigation and Arbitration, Investigations & Enforcement, and more. Our lawyers are recognized as leaders in their field, handling complex corporate and commercial transactions and other matters that demand multifaceted legal experience. Willkie’s Munich office opened in 2024 and our Frankfurt office was established in 2000.

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