Weil, Gotshal & Manges announced the continued expansion of its German operations with the addition of antitrust partners Ingo Brinker and Niklas Brueggemann, reinforcing the firm’s global antitrust capabilities and accelerating growth in one of Europe’s most active legal markets.
The hires mark a significant milestone in Weil’s broader European strategy, bringing the total number of new partners in Germany to eight in a six-month period. The expansion reflects increasing client demand for sophisticated antitrust counsel across multi-jurisdictional transactions, particularly in sectors such as AI, technology, industrials, and defense.
Brinker joins as a highly established figure in European competition law, with more than two decades of experience advising on merger control, cartel investigations, damages actions, and complex litigation. His practice spans both German and EU antitrust frameworks, and he has represented clients before key regulatory bodies, including the German Federal Cartel Office, the European Commission, and multiple international competition authorities.
Brueggemann, recognized as an emerging leader in the field, brings expertise at the intersection of technology and antitrust. His background includes experience in both private practice and public service, advising on EU and German competition law, foreign direct investment screening, and regulatory enforcement matters involving multi-stakeholder environments.
The additions further strengthen Weil’s integrated European antitrust platform, which includes established teams in London, Paris, and Brussels, and complements the firm’s longstanding market-leading practice in the United States. The firm has significantly scaled its European antitrust bench in recent years, expanding nearly eightfold as part of a targeted growth strategy.
Weil’s German offices, located in Frankfurt and Munich, have become a central pillar of the firm’s European operations, with strong capabilities across private equity, M&A, restructuring, and dispute resolution. The firm’s broader global platform includes approximately 1,200 lawyers advising multinational corporations and financial institutions on complex, cross-border matters.
Recent highlights for the firm’s antitrust practice include advising on major global transactions such as Boeing’s $4.7 billion acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems, ChampionX’s $7.8 billion deal with SLB, and Microsoft’s $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
KEY QUOTES:
“We are thrilled to welcome Ingo and Niklas, whose deep experience across EU and German competition law further strengthens our ability to advise clients on complex, multi-jurisdictional matters. We are seeing significant momentum in Germany, and the continued growth of our practice reflects both strong client demand and the success of our strategy in this market.”
Barry Wolf, Executive Partner, Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
“Ingo and Niklas are extremely highly regarded partners who advise on bet-the-company matters that require extensive experience and judgment. They bring heavyweight credentials in merger control and European antitrust litigation, at a time when Germany remains one of the most active jurisdictions in Europe for cartel damages claims and follow-on actions.”
Britta Grauke, Co-Managing Partner, Weil Germany
“As we continue to advise on the most complex transactions in the AI, technology, industrials and defense sectors, demand for sophisticated, integrated antitrust advice is among our clients’ most pressing needs. Our clients rely on us to manage the ever-changing regulatory environment and provide them with strategic antitrust advice and insights across multiple regimes. With their close connections to the European Commission and German agencies, Ingo and Niklas provide further depth to our top-tier global antitrust practice.”
Jenine Hulsmann, European Head of Antitrust, Weil
“Weil has one of the most dynamic practices in Germany now, and the success of its European antitrust bench is phenomenal. Niklas and I are delighted to be joining.”
Ingo Brinker, Antitrust Partner, Weil
