German firm Noerr is opening a new branch in Hamburg after hiring three partners from White & Case's office in the city. 

The US firm's partners joining Noerr's new branch, which launches on April 1, are Kai-Michael Hingst, Volker Land and Matthias Stupp. Their focusses are banking and finance, M&A and capital markets, and litigiation respectively.  

In additon to the three lateral hires Noerr is relocating four Frankfurt partners - Karsten Metzlaff (antitrust), Björn Paulsen, Christoph Spiering (both corporate/M&A) and Stephan Schulz (capital markets) - to Hamburg. 

Noerr intends to increase the headcount of the Hamburg office to 20 fee earners by summer 2017, including through further lateral hires.