PERSONAL PERSPECTIVES & QUOTES FROM LEADERSHIP

Over the past 12–18 months, the narrative around hiring in the German legal market has become more binary. International firms are seen as one path. German firms as another. The reality is more complex. Partners, particularly those within international platforms are increasingly aware of the pressure ahead. Questions around the sustainability of the billable hour model, internal retention, and long-term platform stability are no longer theoretical. They are being actively weighed. At the same time, German firms have gained real momentum. We’ve seen a growing number of high-profile lateral hires, often positioned as a return to stronger cultural alignment and more stable platforms. But the move is not as straightforward as it may appear. For many partners, particularly those with internationally exposed practices, stepping away from an international firm raises a different set of questions.

Global positioning still matters.

Access to US mandates still matters.

And for many, that access remains difficult to fully replicate.

This is where the tension sits. The market is not choosing between “better” and “worse” platforms. It is balancing stability against reach. And that is why, despite the momentum behind German firms, decision-making at partner level is becoming more considered not less. The firms that recognise that complexity and can speak to it clearly are the ones that will continue to attract the right talent.