Baker McKenzie has promoted international arbitration practitioners Désirée Prantl in Vienna, Valentina Hirsiger in Zurich and Max Oehm in Frankfurt to partner.
The trio became partners yesterday. They are among 66 lawyers promoted to partner at the firm for 2024.
In Vienna, Prantl focuses on international commercial arbitration and domestic litigation relating to construction, energy, telecoms and M&A. She has been admitted in her native Austria since 2015.
Prantl has represented a German battery technology company in a case at the German Arbitration Institute (DIS) against a supplier; and an Austrian logistics company in a case at Russian arbitral institution ICAC against a Russian fashion company concerning delays and sanctions.
She has also defended a client in a Zurich-seated ICC case over the construction of an acid production plant in Sweden; and acted for Austrian energy company RAG in a claim over a natural gas storage agreement.
Prantl joined Baker as counsel in 2021 after almost nine years at Freshfields, where she was an associate. She is a member of the domestic advisory board of the Vienna International Arbitral Centre (VIAC). She also sits as arbitrator.
In Zurich, Hirsiger focuses on commercial, construction and corporate disputes.
She has represented German manufacturers in ICC cases concerning projects in Asia and South America.
At the Swiss Arbitration Centre, she has represented a BVI company in a post-M&A dispute with an Emirati counterparty; a Swiss manufacturer in a claim against a Turkish partner; and a German manufacturer in a claim brought by a former licensee.
Hirsiger began her career at Baker in 2016. As of last year, she also sits as a part-time judge at the Princely Supreme Court in Vaduz, Liechtenstein’s court of last instance.
Oehm, admitted in Germany, focuses on international arbitration and ADR relating to infrastructure projects and post-M&A disputes across Europe and South America.
He is acting in an ICC case worth more than €40 million concerning a South American infrastructure project; and a DIS case over an offshore wind farm in the German North Sea with over €125 million in dispute.
He began his career in 2016 as an associate in Baker’s Frankfurt office, and has also spent time in the firm’s Singapore office.
Also promoted as part of the 2024 partner class is Graham Cronogue in Washington, DC, a member of the firm’s North America litigation and government enforcement practice group who also acts in arbitration-related matters.
He has helped a UK-Australian businessman obtain emergency relief against Mongolia; acted for a forestry company in US enforcement efforts stemming from a long-running dispute over land expropriations in Zimbabwe; confirmed a NAFTA in favour of Canada in the US courts; and defended Guatemala against a US creditor’s attempt to enforce an ICSID award.
Baker notes that a record 52% of its new partners for 2024 are women.