Rödl & Partner does not fit the same profile as most of the other large European law firms. It is a sizeable multidisciplinary operation worldwide, with a focus on Europe in particular, headquartered in Germany. The firm’s legal arm generates just over half the global turnover of the combined legal, tax and audit operations despite having less than half of Rödl’s total workforce. Just under 900 staff work in the legal division, out of 4,500 globally, although naturally the law
Rödl & Partner does not fit the same profile as most of the other large European law firms. It is a sizeable multidisciplinary operation worldwide, with a focus on Europe in particular, headquartered in Germany.
The firm’s legal arm generates just over half the global turnover of the combined legal, tax and audit operations despite having less than half of Rödl’s total workforce. Just under 900 staff work in the legal division, out of 4,500 globally, although naturally the law firm benefits from the economies of scale derived from being part of such a large operation.
However, Rödl & Partner was founded as a legal practice, by Bernd Rödl in Nuremberg in 1977. It was the first West German firm to open in East Germany as the Iron Curtain fell and it began expanding eastwards soon after, first in Russia and then Asia.
Similar to Fidal, Rödl & Partner has a large tax practice and this remains the main revenue driver for the legal side of the business. Corporate and real estate law are also important for the firm.
Globally, Rödl & Partner now has 108 offices, including 24 in Germany, although legal is not on offer in all of these locations. That said, its multidisciplinary offering is crucial to the firm’s strategy and core to how it works. It is not part of any law firm networks.
Rödl & Partner has six managing partners, with the board currently led by Bernd Rödl’s son Christian. The other five members of the board are a mixture of tax advisers and lawyers, all based in Germany despite the firm’s global footprint.
