Pinsent Masons has hired a trio of partners from KPMG's German legal arm to launch its second office in the country.

The firm will open a base in Duesseldorf in February, with Thorsten Volz, Sonke Godeke and Torsten Wielsch all joining from KPMG.

Volz will head up the base and also lead the firm's German energy practice. He has led KPMG's energy and major projects group in Germany since 2010.

Meanwhile, Godeke and Wielsch join from KPMG's Hanover office, of which Godeke was the head. The partners specialise in advising on complex power plant projects, renewable energy and network infrastructure projects.

Pinsents said that the firm intends to continue building its energy capability in Duesseldorf and also expand its life sciences and technology, media and telecoms practices.

Duesseldorf will become Pinsents' 21st office. The firm launched its first German office in Munich in July 2012 after recruiting seven partners from three German firms.

Pinsents Germany head Rainer Kreifels said: "We were determined, when we launched Pinsent Masons in Germany, that it would be the beginning of a process and not an end in itself."

Last year the firm hired Clifford Chance's Munich intellectual property head, Marc Holtorf, and former Fieldfisher Munich head Sibylle Schumacher. In January this year, the Munich office also took on a team of capital markets specialists through the bolt-on of German firm Mayrhofer + Partner.

Pinsent Masons has hired a trio of partners from KPMG's German legal arm to launch its second office in the country.

The firm will open a base in Duesseldorf in February, with Thorsten Volz, Sonke Godeke and Torsten Wielsch all joining from KPMG.

Volz will head up the base and also lead the firm's German energy practice. He has led KPMG's energy and major projects group in Germany since 2010.

Meanwhile, Godeke and Wielsch join from KPMG's Hanover office, of which Godeke was the head. The partners specialise in advising on complex power plant projects, renewable energy and network infrastructure projects.

Pinsents said that the firm intends to continue building its energy capability in Duesseldorf and also expand its life sciences and technology, media and telecoms practices.

Duesseldorf will become Pinsents' 21st office. The firm launched its first German office in Munich in July 2012 after recruiting seven partners from three German firms.

Pinsents Germany head Rainer Kreifels said: "We were determined, when we launched Pinsent Masons in Germany, that it would be the beginning of a process and not an end in itself."

Last year the firm hired Clifford Chance's Munich intellectual property head, Marc Holtorf, and former Fieldfisher Munich head Sibylle Schumacher. In January this year, the Munich office also took on a team of capital markets specialists through the bolt-on of German firm Mayrhofer + Partner.