Bird & Bird has recruited Dentons’ banking head Bernhard Gemmel in Frankfurt.

Gemmel, a dual-qualified French and German lawyer who joins Bird & Bird as partner, focuses on project, real estate, export and trade, and acquisition finance. He spent two years at Dentons and legacy firm Salans, which he joined from Beiten Burckhardt in 2011.

A recent example of Gemmel’s work for his previous firm was his advice to the lenders on the €190 million refinancing of a facility for the Nova Eventis Shopping Center near Leipzig in 2012.

Dentons associate Stanislav Schmidt has also made the switch to Bird & Bird.

Gemmel's move is the latest in a spate of partner departures from Dentons since the firm’s inception in March, and the second to leave one of its German offices after Munich partner Stefanie Greifeneder joined Field Fisher Waterhouse in May.