Shearman & Sterling has boosted its capabilities in Paris with the addition of a four-partner team from DLA Piper. 

Xavier Norlain, co-managing partner of DLA Piper in France, has joined the US top 60 firm alongside partners Jeremy Scemama, Maud Manon and Matthieu Lampel. The quartet specialise in advising financial services clients on M&A, private equity, leveraged finance and restructuring matters. 

Besides Norlain, the new team includes two more former practice heads: Manon was head of finance and restructuring for DLA Piper in France, while Scemama was head of corporate, according to their Linkedin profiles. 

All four partners joined DLA Piper in 2012 from Parisian boutique Frieh Bouhenic after the its was acquired by the UK firm in a move that brought its Paris headcount to more than 30 partners and 60 other lawyers. The office has since grown to include more than 175 lawyers, according to DLA Piper’s website. 

Shearman, meanwhile, has around 85 lawyers working in its Paris office, which it established in 1963 as its first physical location outside the US. 

Shearman senior partner David Beveridge said the new arrivals “exponentially enhance” the firm's capabilities in Paris, adding that the hires are “indicative of our acceleration of the execution of the firm’s strategy to focus on core practice areas in key geographies, aligning with market opportunities”. 

Ward McKimm, Shearman’s Europe regional managing partner and EMEA finance head, added that the new partners will especially complement the firm’s offerings in London and Germany, which have both seen significant growth this year thanks to a number of hires from the UK’s Magic Circle, including a double partner hire from Linklaters in Munich in January and the arrival of Allen & Overy acquisition finance veteran Sanjeev Dhuna. who joined the London office in April. 

The firm also hired Travers Smith’s London M&A head Phil Chevely to lead its EMEA M&A team alongside Laurence Levy in March and further boosted its European network in this year’s partner promotions round, which saw four Europe-based lawyers move up the ranks in June. 

By expanding its team in Paris, Shearman has joined a string of several international law firms to recently develop their offering in the French capital. Last week saw BCLP expand its litigation and investigations practice with the addition of a quartet from White & Case, a move that came just a week after White & Case promoted five of its Paris-based lawyers to partner. 

HSF also strengthened its Paris bench last week when it hired project finance specialist Michaël Armandou from Willkie Farr & Gallagher to build out the firm’s work on energy sector markets.