Pinsent Masons ramps up German presence of Vario with leadership double hire

The pair, who will co-head Vario in Germany, will join the firm in October from contract legal services business Lawyers on Demand (LOD) where they launched and have led the company's German business since 2018.

The recruitment follows the expansion of Vario into Germany in December 2019 when Pinsent Masons acquired freelance legal services company Xenion Legal GmbH and its sister company, managed legal services business Xenia. Since its expansion in Germany, Vario has secured a number of high profile clients within sectors such as automotive, technology and energy

Managing Director of Vario, Matthew Kay, said: "Following a period of rapid international expansion for Vario, building out the leadership team on the ground in Germany has been a key priority. Both Carl and Michael bring with them a wealth of private practice, in-house and alternative legal services experience which makes them an excellent fit for Vario. As the largest provider of law firm-led flexible legal services across Europe and Asia-Pacific we are confident that both will play a vital role in embedding our capabilities in Germany, boosting our domestic German and global mandates. This experience will be critical as we respond to intensified demand for contract legal services in Germany and further enhance Pinsent Masons' reputation as a professional services business with law at the core."

Carl Renner and Michael Zollner both have many years of experience as commercial/IT lawyers in international law firms and inhouse departments of large corporates.

Carl Renner said: "I am looking forward to joining Pinsent Masons at such an exciting and critical stage in its expansion, as it embeds its recent acquisitions in Germany. Flexible legal resourcing is new to much of the German market and businesses increasingly recognise the value that Pinsent Masons can provide through their law firm backed model as the market adapts to new demands on legal service providers."

Michael Zollner said: "German in-house legal teams are under increasing pressure as they adapt to growing legislative and compliance demands. Pinsent Masons' law firm-led flexible legal services approach has been a game changer for many businesses already and I am excited to work with the team as it further develops in Germany and in other global markets."

Since its UK launch in 2013, Vario has expanded in Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong. Vario forms part of a wider group of professional services offered alongside legal expertise by Pinsent Masons. In October last year Pinsent Masons also launched its project management consultancy services in Germany. Over the last three years, Vario has experienced year-on-year revenue growth of between 30% and 45% and works with in excess of 1000 legal professionals across Europe and Asia Pacific making it the largest law firm-backed provider of flexible legal professionals.