Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) has launched in Berlin, with recently hired corporate partner Ralf Thaeter set to split his time between the office and the firm's new Frankfurt base.

Thaeter, who was recruited from former Herbert Smith alliance firm Gleiss Lutz in February to launch HSF's Frankfurt offering, will also head up the Berlin base, which will focus on corporate and regulatory work.

The firm plans to recruit more lawyers to build up both offices.

HSF global co-head head of corporate Patrick Mitchell commented: "Over time, our Frankfurt office will be a full-service offering, with our presence in Berlin focusing on corporate and regulatory work. Our recruitment efforts are continuing and we hope to be able to announce the appointment of additional partners in the coming months."

Thaeter previously was previously head of corporate and M&A at Gleiss Lutz for four years until 2009. He worked closely with Herbert Smith during its alliance with Gleiss  and Benelux firm Stibbe, which broke down in December 2011.

The Frankfurt office will initially focus on M&A, corporate, disputes and finance work, with a view to expand to a full-service offering. The firm is understood to be aiming for around four to six partners on the ground by the end of the second quarter.

The launch comes after Herbert Smith last year appointed London corporate managing partner Patrick Mitchell and City corporate partner Alan Montgomery to head a committee leading plans for a Germany launch, with offices in Frankfurt, Duesseldorf and Munich understood at the time to be top priorities.

The firm was not able to open in the country earlier than January 2013 due to the wind-down terms of the terminated alliance with Gleiss and Stibbe.

Herbert Smith's merger with Australia's Freehills, creating HSF, went live in October last year.

For more, see: Herbert Smith faces fierce competition in 'over-lawyered' German market.