Pinsent Masons has launched its flexible legal services offering Vario in Germany via the acquisition of two local businesses.

The firm has acquired Xenion Legal Gmbh, a company that provides legal services from freelance lawyers. Xenion owns and operates another legal services business, Xenia, that Pinsent Mason has also acquired.

Xenion was set up in 2012. Based in Frankfurt, it offers temporary legal resources for corporate and law firm clients. Xenia was launched in 2018 and provides services to clients, chiefly in the technology and automotive sectors.

The Vario business will be run out of Frankurt and Matthew Kay, managing director of Vario, will take management responsibility for the new offering.

Kay said in a statement: "There are three strategic planks to this acquisition. First, we see this as an effective way to launch the Vario brand in Germany. Second, Xenion has an impressive client list whom we think could benefit from a wider range of services available through both Vario and Pinsent Masons. Finally, this acquisition will help us respond to increased demand for scalable flexible resource particularly in respect of secondments and class actions."

The launch is the latest expansive move for the business, which was set up in 2012.

In March, it launched in Hong Kong – its second location in Asia after opening in Singapore in 2018. Its Australia operations launched in 2017 — Vario's first expansion outside the U.K.