We are pleased to announce the promotions of Khalid Afras, Maximilian Hammers, and Moritz Stupka to Partner. These promotions mark another milestone in the expansion of our activities in the DACH region, in addition to the recent openings of our new offices in Zurich and Munich.
The three new partners look back on long and successful careers at Clearwater, each with more than ten years of relevant corporate finance expertise in different sectors.
“Boasting a robust leadership team of 15 and a team of approximately 60 experienced professionals across the DACH region, Clearwater is strategically positioned to capitalise on both emerging challenges and opportunities.”
Ralph Schmücking, Managing Partner, Clearwater, commented:
"Khalid, Moritz, and Max have been highly valued members of our team for many years and have excelled in their previous roles. Their promotions and inclusion in our partnership are an important step and underline the attractiveness of our dynamic firm, where outstanding talents can realise their professional and personal development goals."
Khalid advises both private equity investors and corporates on all financing-related aspects, especially acquisition financings and recapitalisations, and is responsible for the coverage of our private equity clients in close collaboration with his M&A colleagues. Some of Khalid's notable transactions include the acquisition of Duvenbeck Group by Waterland, the acquisition of Nayak Group by Chequers, and the refinancing of Viessmann Group.
As the sector Head of Business Services across the DACH region, Maximilian will further increase his focus on private equity transactions in the future. Maximilian has extensive experience in the German-speaking SME sector, and in advising international clients on M&A transactions, this includes some notable transactions such as the acquisition of AVANTGARDE Experts by YER Group, a portfolio company of Inflexion, and advising DBAG on the sale of R+S Group to nokera.
Moritz primarily advises clients in the energy and infrastructure sectors on M&A transactions and financing projects. As a member of our Energy & Utilities and Debt Advisory teams, Moritz possesses a high level of expertise and has provided advice to companies such as Uniper on the sale of their marine fuels business unit in the UAE and Infraserv Höchst on their comprehensive investment financing, including syndicated loan and promissory notes.
Ralph Schmücking, Managing Partner, Clearwater, commented:
"Khalid, Moritz, and Max have been highly valued members of our team for many years and have excelled in their previous roles. Their promotions and inclusion in our partnership are an important step and underline the attractiveness of our dynamic firm, where outstanding talents can realise their professional and personal development goals."
