SJ Berwin has significantly boosted its European real estate practice with the hire of a team from a rival German firm.

Hans Thomas Kessler joins the Frankfurt office from Beiten Burkhardt – one of the top real estate firms in the region – with what is expected to be a large team, although exact numbers are yet to be clarified.

The addition will ramp up the firm's capabilities in real estate transactions, finance, infrastructure and funds.

Kessler is the fifth partner to join SJ Berwin's German real estate team across the firm's three offices in Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt.

SJ Berwin's Germany managing partner, Ruediger Knopf, commented: "We are delighted that Kessler has joined our company, at an ideal time for our firm both in Germany and at a European level."

Kessler added: "With SJ Berwin, we will be able to combine our recognised strength in asset and transaction management with established expertise in capital markets, which is becoming ever more important, especially in the funds sphere."

SJ Berwin has been active in the European market this year with March's double partner hire of antitrust specialist Davide Balboni in Milan, while insolvency lawyer Nicolas Theys joined the partnership in Paris.

Earlier this year the firm said that it was considering opening a Moscow office overseen by Russian practice group head, David Goldberg- which would mark SJ Berwin's first office outside Continental Europe and its ninth outside London.

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