Commerzbank hired FD after a pitch against incumbent Maitland, Finsbury and Brunswick.
The two-part brief is focused on promoting the group's UK presence, plus its capital markets business - Commerzbank Corporates & Markets.
The account had been with Maitland for four years (PRWeek, 25 Oct 2002).
FD financial services SV-P Andrew Walton and financial services MD Geoff Pelham-Lane head the account, reporting to group head of corporate comms Richard Lips and London head of corporate comms Lisa Givert.
Commerzbank made headlines earlier this month when it announced it was moving into Russia by taking a 15.3 per cent stake in Promsvyazbank, a Moscow-based commercial and retail bank.
The company said it was considering increasing its holding in Promsvyazbank to take control of the Russian lender. Last November it bought German real-estate bank Eurohypo.