Shearmans lures CC tax specialist

Clifford Chance Punders is losing its second tax partner to Shearman & Sterling.

Wolfgang Tischbirek leaves the German arm of the newly-merged firm after 17 years at Punders to join Shearman's Frankfurt office.

Tischbirek follows Hanno Berger, previously a tax partner at Punders, who left the firm in February - with three associates and three non-lawyer tax professionals - to head the then newly-formed tax department at Shearmans.

Peter Nagele, joint managing partner at Clifford Chance for Continental Europe, says: "Certain people have been thinking about their personal objectives and goals, thinking about how they can pursue them in a better way somewhere else."

Nagele says he would be surprised if Tischbirek's decision to leave was based on the merger between Punders and Clifford Chance

Berger says: "Wolfgang and I have worked very closely together. We have a chance to develop the tax department and will increase it with at least three new tax advisers in addition."