Dechert has launched a life sciences practice in Frankfurt with the hire of WilmerHale's former corporate head Ruediger Herrmann.

Herrmann, who focuses his practice on the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and renewable energy industries, represents German and international clients in all corporate work and intellectual property transactions.

He helped launch WilmerHale's Frankfurt office in 2008 when he joined the firm as part of a four-partner team move from Mayer Brown. At WilmerHale, he advised on a range of cross-border matters, and was a member of the firm's China corporate practice.

"Ruediger bolsters our presence in Germany, further deepening our talent in the life sciences sector in Europe and Asia, and on a cross-border basis," said David Schulman and George Gordon, co-chairs of Dechert's life sciences practice.

"Dechert has a well-respected and deep global life science practice and the resources the firm has to offer will be of great benefit to our clients," said Herrmann.

Herrmann becomes the tenth partner to join Dechert's Frankfurt office since it re-launched in 2012. Last year, the office took on Linklaters tax partner Martin Haisch, in addition to Shearman & Sterling's former Brussels managing partner Hans Jurgen Meyer-Lindemann, who splits his time between the Belgian capital and Frankfurt.

Dechert's history in Frankfurt was initially unsettled, after first launching in the German city in 2002. In 2006, Legal Week reported the firm had been operating in the city without full-time lawyers for six months, and after pulling out, the firm took a further six years to re-launch.