Taylor Wessing has hired two partners in its Berlin office.

André Lippert is joining the firm's public business law practice from local law firm Gleiss Lutz. He is joined in the move by Herbert Smith Freehills partner Ralf Tietz. Tietz is exiting HSF following its announcement it will close its Berlin office at the end of this year.

Lippert worked at Germany's ministries of health and economics before joining Gleiss Lutz. Following Lippert's departure, Gleiss Lutz will have 37 lawyers advising on public commercial law, including eight partners and four associated partners.

Tietz, meanwhile, used to work at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. At Taylor Wessing he will assist the firm's advisory service alongside company and capitals markets lawyers.

Taylor Wessing's German transaction team now has about 70 lawyers. Earlier this year, Stephan Doom and Michael Lamsa joined as partners in the Frankfurt office and Philip Cavaillès joined as an equity partner of Ashurst.

Other firms to have expanded their German bases recently include DWF, which opened its fourth office in Germany in October via the recruitment of local firm Marccus Partners' base in the city.