German independent firm P+P Pöllath + Partners has recruited former Hengeler Mueller partner Wolfgang Grobecker for its Munich office.
Grobecker made headlines in January as a rare departure from German blue-chip firm Hengeler, when he announced that he was joining U.S. firm Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy to pursue a more international career.
However, Grobecker lasted just one week at Milbank, with the firm declining to comment on the reasons for the swift exit.
Hengeler later confirmed that Grobecker had been asked to leave the leading German firm late last year because of alleged misconduct.
The M&A-specialist partner had spent his entire career with Slaughter and May alliance firm Hengeler, qualifying as an associate in 1999 and making partner in 2004.
Grobecker joined P+P Pöllath as the 16th partner in its Munich office. Munich is the largest of three offices for the 90-lawyer German independent firm, which also has a presence in Frankfurt and Berlin. Grobecker's official start date is March 1, but he has already joined the firm.
P+P Pöllath said in a statement: "P+P is glad to have won Dr Wolfgang Grobecker as new partner for its Munich office. With Wolfgang Grobecker and his excellent reputation in the area of corporate law, this very important specialty will receive an even greater focus at P+P and will create most valuable synergies with the M&A practice in which P+P is recognised as one of the top advisers."
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