Allen & Overy (A&O) has bolstered its German corporate practice with the hire of Shearman & Sterling's global co-head of M&A.

Hans Rolf Koerfer will join A&O's Duesseldorf arm, which opened in September, after nearly eight years with Shearman. The appointment of a respected corporate lawyer from one of Shearman's leading European offices will be seen as a boost for the magic circle firm's German practice, which has been identified as a key investment priority.

Koerfer joins Thomas Austmann, the senior corporate lawyer who joined A&O from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer to launch the office last year.