Reed Smith has hired a team of three lawyers – including one partner – from Olswang's Munich office, ahead of the firm's merger with CMS and Nabarro.

The team is led by Germany technology and data protection head Andreas Splittgerber and includes two associates.

Splittgerber specialises in commercial, IT law, outsourcing and data protection. He joins Reed Smith as a partner in its IP, information and innovation group in Munich.

He is joined by the two associates and a secretary in the move ahead of Olswang's tripartite merger, which takes effect on 1 May.

The co-chair of Reed Smith's IP, information and innovation group, Mark Melodia, said: "The arrival of Andreas deepens our data protection, privacy and technology law capabilities in the critical German market and gives us another business-focused data lawyer able to serve the needs of our clients across Europe."

Earlier this month, Dentons launched a UK patent prosecution and opposition practice with the hire of an eight-lawyer team also leaving Olswang ahead of its merger.

The eight-strong team is set to be reunited at Dentons with former Olswang patent prosecution group co-chair Justin Hill, whose move to Dentons was sealed last November, one month after Olswang's partners voted in favour of the three-way merger.

Olswang's upcoming three-way merger with CMS UK and Nabarro is due to go live on 1 May. Other resignations from the firm's IP practice since news of the merger broke last September include former London IP partner and co-head of life sciences Stephen Reese, who joined Clifford Chance at the start of October.

Earlier this month, Legal Week revealed that Olswang litigation partner Anna Caddick was leaving the firm to join Facebook as EMEA head of regulatory and litigation.