Howrey is set to launch in Duesseldorf with the hire of Christoph Lenz, the local office head of intellectual property (IP) firm Bardehle Pagenberg.

The new base will open for business in September 2010 and will specialise in patent litigation. Lenz will head up the office alongside one associate, and work closely with Joachim Feldges, the managing partner of Howrey’s Munich office and co-chair of the firm’s IP practice.