Dewey & LeBoeuf is to strengthen its Frankfurt corporate finance practice with the hire of a three-lawyer team from Norton Rose.

The team is headed by partner Jochen Terpitz, who specialises in the energy and infrastructure sectors, and also includes associates Katrin Vedder and Kevin Quennet.

Terpitz has particular expertise in power projects and the development, financing and acquisition of renewable energy projects for German and international clients.

The hires come after Dewey's German practice saw a number of partner departures last year. In July 2010 Frankfurt managing partner Hanno Berger left Dewey along with banking and finance partner Kai-Uwe Steck to launch a new tax boutique, with three other partners announcing their departure from the Frankfurt office the same month to join tax boutique WTS.

Terpitz's departure date from Norton Rose has yet to be confirmed. It comes as Norton Rose prepares to launch an office in Hamburg after hiring eight new partners from DLA Piper in February, three of who specialisze in energy.

Norton Rose said in a statement: "We are strengthening our overall presence in Germany with the addition of an eight-partner strong office in Hamburg. This will build on the success of our long-established presence in Munich and Frankfurt.

"Our existing German energy team includes two Munich-based partners, corporate finance specialist Klaus Bader and banking specialist Dirk Trautmann, together with German-qualified Brussels-based partner Christian Filippitsch, who advises on EU regulatory and competition matters in the energy sector."