DLA Piper appoints Kai Bodenstedt and Martin Haller as new Co-Country Managing Partners for Germany

DLA Piper has appointed Kai Bodenstedt and Martin Haller as new Co-Country Managing Partners in Germany with effect from 1 November 2022. They succeed Benjamin Parameswaran, who – also as of 1 November, after eight highly successful years as Country Managing Partner – will assume worldwide responsibility for DLA Piper’s Corporate Group as the Firm’s new Global Co-Chair Corporate.

Kai joined DLA Piper in 2005 and is a partner in the firm´s Hamburg office. He leads the German Employment practice group since 2014. Under his leadership the German Employment group has improved significantly and has been named Employment Law Firm of the Year at the JUVE Awards in 2018, Germany´s most prestigious awards for law firms. Kai focuses on providing legal advice to international corporate clients on all aspects of employment and labour related projects and disputes. Kai has particular expertise in advising international companies in dealing with works councils. Since 2020, he has also been responsible for HR and recruiting at DLA Piper in Germany.

Martin is a real estate partner in Germany located in our Munich office. He joined the firm in 2010 and became a partner in 2016. Martin is Real Estate Sector Head for Germany, a member of the International Real Estate Sector Steering Committee and heads the international Development Group at DLA Piper. In 2020, he was significantly involved in winning the JUVE Award as Law Firm of the Year for Real Estate and Construction Law. Within the Real Estate practice group, Martin advises on real estate transactions and developments. In addition to national and international real estate investors, his clients also include German regulated funds and real estate developers.

“We are very pleased that we will be allowed to continue DLA Piper’s successful course in Germany together as Co-Country Managing Partners in the future. In doing so, we will continue to create the framework to provide our clients with the best possible legal services and to support our employees. We will continue to grow and further expand our position as an integral part of one of the leading global law firms”, said Kai Bodenstedt and Martin Haller on their appointment.

Jan Geert Meents, Managing Director UK & Europe at DLA Piper, added: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ben for his fantastic leadership as a Country Managing Partner for Germany for the past eight years. And I would like to wish Kai and Martin all the very best for their new roles. I have no doubt that they will lead the German practice very successfully in the future. They can rely on the full support of the German and international partnership”.