Sidley Austin has brought on a corporate partner from Shearman & Sterling, the firm announced this week, the latest hire in a period of growth for the firm's mergers and acquisitions and private equity practices.

Brien Wassner, based in New York, has joined Sidley as a partner in its M&A and private equity practice. Wassner, most recently a member of Shearman's M&A practice group, was one of five co-leaders of its private capital industry group. Before Sherman, Wassner also practiced at Milbank, Jones Day, Winston & Strawn and Dewey & LeBoeuf.

Wassner's hire comes as Sidley has spent more than a year building out its M&A and private equity offerings. Last year, the firm snagged Adam Weinstein and Tony Feuerstein from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. John Butler departed Davis Polk & Wardwell for Sidley's New York office in January. Outside of New York, Eleanor Shanks joined the firm in London from Proskauer Rose last month; a duo from Cooley joined the firm in Los Angeles in April; and San Francisco-based Jared Jensen left Goodwin Proctor for Sidley last year.

Sidley, ranked No. 6 in the Am Law 100, has experienced quite a few years of steady growth in head count and revenue. Last year, the firm employed 1,943 attorneys and raked in more than $2.2 billion in revenue, up from $1.3 billion in 2010, according to ALM data. Its average profits per equity partner stood at $2.55 million last year.

In a statement, Brian Fahrney, global co-leader of Sidley's M&A and private equity practice, said the firm had been focusing on growth in multiple markets, including New York.

"Our growth in private equity has been steady, deliberate and focused in key markets," he wrote. "As we continue to expand our private equity offerings, New York is an important market for us, and we think Brien will be an essential member of the team."

Wassner added in a statement that he was attracted to Sidley's growth in the M&A and private equity space. "Sidley's growth trajectory in private equity is pretty hard not to notice," he said, noting the firm also has "a strong global platform."

Shearman representatives declined to comment.

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