Carsten Liersch (43), who is a lawyer and receiver, has had his own law firm since 1996 and has been specialising solely in receiverships and corporate rescue advice since 2000. His insolvency practice currently has an emphasis on bankruptcies of consumers (Verbraucherinsolvenzverfahren) and bankruptcies of self-employed persons (Regelinsolvenzverfahren). The law firm Liersch is one of the leading addresses for this in the whole country. Carsten Liersch is currently appointed as a receiver and trustee at all of the Berlin insolvency courts as well as at the Amtsgericht [Local Court] Potsdam. The purpose of the merger with Graf von Westphalen is to extend the practice to other of Graf von Westphalen's offices and - against the backdrop of a leading German law firm - to also increasingly process larger business insolvencies.

The addition of Mr. Liersch to the firm also expands the spectrum of services offered by Graf von Westphalen in the practice area of insolvency law, corporate rescues and restructuring. Carsten Liersch will work closely together with the insolvency lawyers Dr. Ben P. Elsner in Cologne and Dr. Frank Büchler in Freiburg and with the company, Graf von Westphalen Insolvenz- und Sanierung GmbH. Dr. Carsten Bittner, Managing Partner of Graf von Westphalen said, "In recent years we have continuously developed and expanded this practice area. First in 2007 when we established Graf von Westphalen Insolvenz- und Sanierung GmbH with Peter Jürges as its managing director in Freiburg; then in 2008 the renowned insolvency lawyer, Dr. Ben P. Elsner and his colleague Hermann Roggen joined in Cologne. We are delighted to have found yet another very committed colleague with business acumen for this practice area". Dr. Barbara Mayer, Managing Partner, added, "We therefore now have 5 partners and 7 salaried lawyers working in the insolvency practice group. With this team we are well set up nationally to be able to compete strongly in the booming practice area of insolvency and restructuring."

This addition is also an important step for our Berlin office. Dr. Lorenz Czajka, who is responsible for integrating the law firm Liersch into the office in the capital said, "We have known Carsten Liersch for many years and have previously worked together with him on mandates successfully and in mutual confidence. After we, in the last 18 months, initially expanded the company and banking law practice area with Dr. Ulrich Schroeder and Arnd Böken, Carsten Liersch now perfectly complements the services offered by the Berlin office. This has created an important foundation for now developing and expanding our practice group which deals with receiverships and provides advice to businesses in a crisis." 7 partners and 11 salaried lawyers therefore now work in Graf von Westphalen's Berlin office.