We are most happy to note that from February to April 2025, many of our LL.M. Finance students have successfully completed the mandatory internships as required by the program regulations. These internships are aimed at deepening our students' understanding of the coursework taught at the ILF and giving them insightful and beneficial  working and networking experiences by working at top international law firms, major banks as well as important institutions such as the European Central Bank, the Deutsche Bundesbank and the Deutsche Börse during the semester break.

We are confident that these internships have added significant value to the career development of our students and they could put what they have learned during the winter semester to practice. Now that they are back at the ILF for the summer semester starting 22 April 2025, we look forward to them actively engaging in our classes and putting the expertise they have acquired during the internships to good and productive discussions in class.

We would like to express our thanks to all strong supporters of the ILF who have provided these invaluable internship placements to our students!

Below are what some of our students say regarding their internships:

• Franz Essenwanger Ballesteros at Freshfields' Global Transactions - Finance Team under the supervision of Partner and ILF Lecturer Andreas Ruthemeyer:

"I had the opportunity to do my internship in the Global Transactions - Finance team at Freshfields, alongside some of the leading lawyers in the fields of Acquisition Finance, Leveraged Finance and Project Finance. During this time, I strengthened my understanding and foundations of these subjects through my involvement in high profile cross-border transactions in different industries with both lawyers from the Frankfurt and London offices. This experience has allowed me to gain invaluable hands-on experience and expand my network in Germany and England."

• Chiara Sannasardo at Görg’s Banking & Finance Team under the supervision of Dr. Kolja Stehl. She also worked for the M&A practice/Italian Desk, in particular, Dr. Christoph Niemeyer and Dr. Matthias Menke:

"This internship has been a truly rewarding experience, perfectly complementing my LL.M. studies. I had the opportunity to work with excellent professionals in a stimulating environment, and develop a deeper understanding of the German legal market."

• Otar Nishnianidze at the SSM Secretariat (SSE) of the European Central Bank:

"During my internship at the ECB SSM, I had the honor of being part of the European Union's most significant financial institution. This opportunity placed me at the heart of innovation, decision-making, and professional development. Beyond gaining fundamental specialized knowledge, I engaged with talented individuals from across the EU, expanding my network and enriching my professional journey."

• Haley Gritz at Eversheds Sutherland’s M&A practice under the supervision of ILF Alumnus David Smith:

"I completed my internship with Eversheds Sutherland, where I worked directly with a partner in a two-person team focusing on international venture capital and M&A. Among other deals, I helped close a cross-border asset purchase and drafted documents for a share flip into the United States. Working in a small team allowed me to communicate directly with clients, investors, and opposing counsel, as well as gain hands-on experience with a myriad of problems inherent in international transactions. Although I learned a lot through this experience, I also was able to apply the knowledge I had gained from my first-semester classes."

• Charisis Panagiotis Ziogas at Clifford Chance’s Global Financial Markets Practice Group under the supervision of ILF Lecturers Dr. Simon Reitz and Georg Georg Lübbehüsen:

"My internship at Clifford Chance constituted unequivocally a constructive and insightful experience for me. It provided me the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and most significantly, work and learn alongside some of the most exceptional and talented practitioners in the field of debt finance. Feeling so grateful for the beneficial experiences, the new skills that I developed, but most importantly for the charismatic people that I had the chance to meet."

• Umay Aktaş at Deutsche Börse’s Group Legal:

"My internship at Deutsche Börse allowed me to deepen my understanding of legal and regulatory matters. During my time there, I worked closely with the legal team on a range of tasks and gained practical knowledge in different areas of law. This experience not only strengthened my legal skills but also gave me clear insights into the direction of my future academic and professional goals.”

• Hasan Furkan Bilhan at Ashurst’s Global Loans Team

"Being a part of the Ashurst Global Loans team was a unique experience from day one. I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to work on acquisition finance and leveraged finance transactions alongside leading lawyers in the sector. I was able to apply the theoretical knowledge I gained in lectures and enhance my experience in a very friendly and welcoming environment.”

• Mardhiyah Mohamed Sirajkumar at Linklater’s Capital Markets Group and Hamza Sezai Aktaş at Linklater’s Financial Regulation Group:

Mardhiyah: "Making the shift from criminal law particularly money laundering and white-collar crime offences, I came to ILF to bridge the gap in my financial law knowledge and Linklaters did exactly that for me. It was incredibly exciting to see what I had learned in the first semester in practice - hearing finance terminology and finally understanding it and not being intimidated by it! I am now equally excited to apply what I’ve learned during my time with the capital markets team into my upcoming international capital markets class! I had the privilege of learning from the best capital markets teams at Linklaters, and I can now confidently say — I am truly ready for the shift!”

Hamza: "My experience with Financial Regulation Group of Linklaters provided me with a deep understanding of financial institutions and their regulatory needs. I was always being handling a different scenario involving a different kind of financial company such as banks, insurance companies, asset management companies, e-money institutions and crypto currency service providers. The tasks performed and needs met by team were ranging from daily and imminent ones to transactional matters. Overall, it was a fruitful experience where I was trying to build bridges between clients and regulators."