Pinsent Masons has hired a three-partner team from KPMG to launch its second German office in Düsseldorf in February.
The hires include KPMG’s energy and major projects head Thorsten Volz who will lead Pinsents’ German energy practice. He will become head of the firm’s Düsseldorf office.
The other two partners are Torsten Wielsch and Sönke Gödeke, who led KPMG’s Hanover office. The team specialises in corporate and energy work and has experience advising on complex power plant projects, renewable energy and network infrastructure projects.
As well as focusing on energy, a spokesperson said the firm will expand the office into the life sciences and TMT sectors.
Pinsents German head Rainer Kreifels said: “We were determined when we launched Pinsent Masons in Germany that it would be the beginning of a process and not an end in itself.
“Düsseldorf is an obvious progression for us given our global credentials and existing network of clients in the region.”
The opening of the Düsseldorf comes three years after the firm opened its technology-focused office in Munich. Since the opening Pinsents has advised on the acquisition of fintech business IND by FTSE listed company MiSys.
Since the Munich office opened Pinsents has grown the office with a number of notable hires including former Clifford Chance IP head Marc Holtorf who joined in June. The firm also picked up Fieldfisher’s Munich head Sibylle Schumacher. Schumacher specialises in technology and financial services litigation and previously worked on the €5.6bn (£4.09bn) Toll Collect arbitration, understood to be one of the largest arbitration awards made in Germany.