A pair of commercial litigators from Kasowitz Benson Torres—Christopher Johnson and Zachary Mazin—plan to leave the firm and join McKool Smith's New York office, where they'll focus on representing hedge funds and institutional investors in financial litigation, McKool Smith said Wednesday.

The hire continues McKool Smith's expansion in New York, currently the firm's largest office, with almost 50 lawyers. It also comes after Robin Cohen, another former Kasowitz lawyer known as a top business producer, left last year with six other partners to start an insurance recovery practice at McKool Smith.

Johnson and Mazin's starting date at McKool Smith hasn't been announced. But their new firm said their anticipated arrival will bolster McKool Smith's financial litigation group, which typically represents investors in a range of disputes with major financial institutions.