• Renowned private equity dealmaker Dr. Sebastian Pauls will take over as Co-Managing Partner of Weil’s German offices.
• He is joined by private equity partner Susanne Decker in Frankfurt, who advises international private equity firms and their portfolio companies on cross-border M&A transactions.
• Both join from Latham & Watkins. 

FRANKFURT AND MUNICH, 2 OCTOBER 2025: Adding significant depth to its European and global private equity offering, international law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP announced today the expansion of its European private equity group with the arrival of two leading private equity partners in Germany. The moves will boost Weil’s operations in Germany and across Europe in the private capital market.

Dr. Sebastian Pauls advises some of the most important, high-profile German and international financial and strategic private equity investors across a wide range of industry sectors. Susanne Decker is also a trusted adviser to prominent international private equity firms and their portfolio companies, advising on cross-border deals and navigating particularly nuanced and complex deal structures. 

“Lawyers of the caliber and quality of Sebastian and Susanne are extremely difficult to find, and we are thrilled to welcome them both. Their exceptional talents are well placed to fit into Weil’s top quality German practice and our culture of excellence,” said Weil Executive Partner Barry Wolf.

Weil’s Co-Head of Private Equity, Marco Compagnoni said, “Germany is of enormous importance to any credible European private equity platform and Sebastian and Susanne are two of the best dealmakers in the region, where we are witnessing a generational shift in private equity deal lawyering at the very highest levels. We expect to see significant levels of private equity activity, and we intend to expand further in Germany and across private equity, restructuring and other areas.”

“Sebastian and Susanne are not only extraordinary lawyers but also visionary leaders whose strategic insights extend far beyond business growth – rooted in a deep understanding of the inner workings and dynamics of the private equity industry. I look forward to co-leading our German offices together with Sebastian and to welcoming Susanne to our team in Frankfurt,” added Britta Grauke, Co-Managing Partner of Weil’s German offices. 

Sebastian Pauls added, “Weil offers one of the best integrated private equity teams in Europe and the US, and I’m delighted to be joining with Susanne to help take the practice to the next level.”

“As Weil broadens its support for private equity clients in Germany and throughout Europe, now is the perfect time for us to come aboard,” said Susanne Decker. “We are excited about the opportunities ahead for our clients in Germany, throughout Europe and around the world.”

The news follows the recent hire of leading secondaries partner Simon Saitowitz in London. Simon has deep experience in complex GP-led transactions in both single asset and multi-asset portfolios and advises on preferred equity financings and other structured secondary transactions. He was an early pioneer in developing portfolio liquidity techniques in Europe.  

The new team in Germany increases the total number of lawyers in Weil's German offices, including 10 partners and 9 counsel.

Weil’s current Germany Co-Managing Partner, Gerhard Schmidt, who held the position for over two decades, will leave the firm at the end of the year.

About Weil’s Private Equity Practice

Weil's Private Equity practice is a global market leader formed of some the most influential and industry-defining practitioners who work across every area of the private equity spectrum including buyouts, growth, technology and credit. Our clients are the largest, most high-profile private equity funds, sovereign wealth funds and pension funds, as well as family offices and other financial investors. Weil advises more than 300 private equity clients worldwide, including the 10 largest global private equity funds and over 80% of the top 25 largest global private equity funds (PEI 300 2024).

About Weil’s German Offices

Weil’s Frankfurt and Munich are part of Weil’s European offering providing seamless support to domestic and international clients, handling both sophisticated cross-border transactions and multi-jurisdictional disputes. Our remarkably diverse client base is engaged in various industries and includes some of the world's leading financial institutions as well as many major international corporations. Weil’s German offices have positioned themselves as one of the premier practices in the country, in particular for Private Equity and M&A transactions as well as for Restructuring. The German practice also focuses on Dispute Resolution, Finance, Tax, Antitrust and Employment.

About Weil

Founded in 1931, Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP has been a preeminent provider of legal services for more than 90 years. With approximately 1,200 lawyers in offices on three continents, Weil has been a pioneer in the marketplace and a first mover in the establishment of many significant practice areas. The Firm’s four departments, Corporate, Litigation, Restructuring, and Tax, Executive Compensation & Benefits, and more than two dozen practice groups are consistently recognized as leaders in their respective fields.