Discover Benelux | Special Theme | Legal Excellence
Luxembourg products enter the Asian markets.”
Team spirit While this is a significant step for both Ober and Simmons & Simmons, Ober is familiar with working for a global organisation. He says, “I understand the expectations. I will join them with humility and the whole team is keen to match the success of other Simmons & Simmons offices.” For Ober, the key to joining the firm relates to what the firm represents and the way it works. He says, “The firm supports a friendly working environment where partners support each other and people want to work as a team. Collegiality doesn’t only benefit the staff working at the company, but also greatly benefits our clients through better results.” This focus on team work is reflected in the number of times Simmons & Simmons has been named as the top law firm in the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index for several consecutive years.
Financial experts Colin Leaver, Simmons & Simmons’s global head of asset management, oversaw the set-up of the new team. “We are very excited indeed. Starting up this new office is a big investment but we see many opportunities in Luxembourg and expect these to increase in the future,” he says. Renowned for their expertise in the financial sector, Simmons & Simmons prides itself on covering five major sectors being asset management & investment funds, financial institutions, technology, life sciences and energy & infrastructure.
LEFT: Jeremy Hoyland, managing partner. TOP RIGHT: Colin Leaver, global head of asset management. BOTTOM RIGHT: Stéphane Ober, new country head, Luxembourg.
The new Luxembourg office will have five partners, to cover each of the sectors with an emphasis on finance and asset management. Leaver says: “We decided to start with a large team so we immediately have expertise in all areas and can offer clients a one-stop service. Luxembourg is a growing market that will become increasingly important in the future.” Ober adds, “With this team of 15, we will have all the right people in place to deliver the work, from our junior staff all the way up to our partners.”
Expertise across the sectors Instrumental to working at Simmons & Simmons is that staff participates in indus-
try-specific events. Setting them apart from the competition, the firm’s lawyers make it their job to know exactly what is going on in their sectors, whether it is financial services, asset management & investment funds, technology, life sciences or energy & infrastructure. Leaver says, “Focussing on these five sectors really helps us to excel. We encourage our lawyers to participate in sector meetings, give internal training and also offer sector-specific secondment positions and give them access to industry associations. Thanks to this, our lawyers understand the businesses they work for, which allows us to provide a more tailored service.” Ober’s team, consisting of Louis-Mael Cogis, Vivianne de Moreau, José Ignacio Pascual Gutiérrez and Pierre Regis Dukmedjian will have a special focus on corporate law, finance, private funds, UCITS funds, regulatory work and tax work. The new office will be located in Luxembourg City and plans to open in January 2015. www.simmons-simmons.com
Issue 12 | December 2014 | 67