Post-merger Pinsent Masons makes Euro move with Germany launch

The firm will open an office in Munich after hiring a team of seven partners specialising in transactions, corporate and IT law and dispute resolution. Two partners – designated office head Ulrich Lohmann and Nina Leonard - join from von Boetticher Hasse Lohmann, while another two – Eike Fietz and Joern Fingerhuth – join from Luther, which opened a representative office in London earlier this year (17 January 2012). The final three partners - Florian von Baum, Rainer Kreifels and Manfred Schmid - join from boutique technology practice MLaw, but were previously at US firm Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr.

The team of partners will be joined by consultant Mark Leonard.

In a statement, Pinsent Masons senior partner Chris Mullen said: “While we’ve been advising German clients and international businesses operating in Germany for many years, this new direction in our continuing international expansion gives us the ability to provide top quality advice on the ground to major German companies in their domestic market and also to service the cross-border needs of international companies operating from, or coming into, Germany.

“Linked to our continued investment in Asia Pacific, and in particular our recent recruitment of Bernd Uwe-Stucken in Shanghai, it also ensures we’re well positioned to provide a legal gateway between mainland Europe and China.”

Last year Pinsent Masons announced that it was also going to open an office in Paris after the firm called time on its strategic alliance with European firm Salans (12 December 2011). The firm already has offices in Beijing, Doha, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Shanghai, as well as across the UK.

Earlier this month the firm hired two partners in Shanghai from former alliance partner Salans (18 June 2012).

Pinsent Masons merged with Scottish firm McGrigors on 1 May, creating a firm with more than 1,500 lawyers (6 February 2012).