McDermott expands investment funds practice with partner hire in Frankfurt

Global law firm McDermott Will & Schulte is continuing to strengthen its European transactions platform with the addition of Olena Tokman as a partner in its investment management practice. She will join the firm’s Frankfurt office on 1 August 2026.

Olena advises domestic and international investors, asset managers and fund sponsors on investments in investment funds and other regulated investment products, as well as their structuring, establishment and marketing. Her practice focuses on private equity, private debt, real estate and infrastructure.

Before joining McDermott, Olena spent seven years at Linklaters. Prior to that, she headed the legal department of a German capital management company.

“Since our merger with Schulte Roth & Zabel last year, we have one of the largest and most respected investment management practices in the world. Further expansion of our well-established German investment management practice is therefore at the top of McDermott’s strategic agenda,” said Matthias Kampshoff, McDermott’s Managing Partner in Germany.

Frank Müller, Managing Partner of the Frankfurt office and himself a seasoned investment management partner, added: “Our goal is to provide our clients with comprehensive one-stop advice on setting up and investing in funds on a national and international level. With Olena, we are gaining an outstanding expert in investment law. We are excited to have her on board as we continue to grow our team.”

Olena’s hire reflects the firm’s focused investment in its pan-European transactions and private capital platform, following the recent appointments of Oliver Sutter in Frankfurt, Kalish Mullen in Paris, Vincenzo Giannantonio in Milan and Lisa Göransson in London.

Harris Siskind, Global Head of McDermott’s Transactions Practice, said: “Olena’s arrival further strengthens our ability to deliver sophisticated, cross-border advice to clients across our global platform. Her experience deepens our private capital capabilities in Europe and reinforces our commitment to strategic growth in key markets.”

McDermott’s global Investment Funds practice provides comprehensive, end-to-end advice to sponsors, investment managers and investors across the full lifecycle of private funds. With more than 150 lawyers across 20 offices worldwide, the team combines deep market insight on fund structuring, investor negotiations and jurisdictional considerations with strong expertise in US and international regulatory matters, delivering seamless, commercially focused cross-border support.