Kaye Scholer has boosted its Frankfurt office with the hire of Mayer Brown patent litigation partner Wolfgang Leip.

Leip moved to the US firm's German arm last month along with associate Benedict von St Andre and two assistants.

Leip advises international companies in patent infringement proceedings across a broad spectrum of industries, including the pharmaceuticals, medical and automotive sectors.

The departure leaves Mayer Brown with no dedicated patent litigation partners in Germany, although the US firm did hire counsel Ulrich Worm from Clifford Chance in December. Worm focuses on patent litigation, anti-piracy and related litigation matters.

Commenting on his move, Leip said: "I am thrilled to be joining Kaye Scholer's preeminent patent litigation practice. I look forward to working with my fellow patent litigators in the US in representing our international clients and to further develop our practice in Germany and throughout Europe."

Kay Scholer's Frankfurt managing partner, Gottfried Freier, added: "Ever since we opened for business in Frankfurt, we have grown strategically by providing our international clients with a rounded offering of practices. [Leip] will add value to our litigation practice."

The 500-lawyer New York firm's European presence also includes an office in London, with Shanghai the firm's only other office outside its US heartlands.